A Ring of Their Own
by Lodylodylody
Summary: After Victoria retires, a shocking development gives her the chance for a new start that could change wrestling forever. But old grudges could also cost her more than she knows. Featuring many women from WWE and TNA. Beth, Molly, Trish, McCool, Kong, etc.
1. Chapter 1

As far as autograph shows went, Lisa Marie had been to worse. Much worse.

But she couldn't remember any such shows where she'd had a harder time acting pleasant.

Certainly the fans that came up to her table clutching photos and magazines and other memorabilia deserved that much. They deserved a smile and a bit of small talk as she signed her autograph to whatever they handed to her. They had cared enough to approach her after all…even though they weren't going to see her on television again anytime soon.

If ever.

And that fact galled her. No matter how nice the autograph seekers were, no matter if they addressed her as "Victoria" or "Tara" or by her birth name… she couldn't get the anger out of her mind.

After a decade long career as one of the top women wrestlers in history, Lisa Marie Varon was not under contract to a major wrestling organization. Not because she was too old, not because she was injured…hell, she was in the best shape of her life…but because the wrestling business was being run by idiots.

That thought was not the sour grapes of some disgruntled worker…that was the truth. For Lisa Marie wasn't angry just on her own behalf. She was angry on behalf of her peers as well.

The state of women in the wrestling business today was pathetic.

For much of the history of professional wrestling, women wrestlers had been pretty much an afterthought. A sideshow attraction in a business that was already thought of as somewhat of a freak show. But that hadn't stopped some remarkable athletes from carrying on and keeping the women's division alive…hoping for better things.

And not so many years ago, it seemed that those efforts had paid off. The "New Golden Age" of women's wrestling some had called it. A time when the mega popular Trish Stratus had become one of the biggest stars for the world's biggest wrestling organization, World Wrestling Entertainment…WWE.

Of course, it takes more than one woman to make a division. And Trish, wrestling's golden girl, had been competing against a lineup of the most well-trained, talented females that the business had ever seen. A group that included Molly Holly, perhaps the most technically skilled woman wrestler who ever lived, and Lisa Marie herself as "Victoria"…Trish's greatest rival.

And yet now, less than a decade later, it was all over. WWE had neglected and ignored their most talented females, thinking they could be replaced with untrained, silicone injected Barbie-dolls. Many of the veteran "Divas" (for that was the name the company insisted on marketing all their women under) had seen the writing on the wall and retired, despite the fact that they were in the prime of their athletic careers.

But not Victoria…she had carried on. Carried on even when she knew the cause was lost.

And then…a new hope. Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling. God, what a stupid name…with an even worse logo: TNA. But poor name or not, it was a new nationally promoted company that dared to break WWE's monopoly on the business. And they seemed like they valued women with in-ring talent.

So Lisa Marie had left her WWE career, and even her name behind (the company had claimed legal rights to "Victoria" as an in-ring name) and joined TNA. Of course, she had to put up with some expected annoyances, like being assigned a new name "Tara" and having to refer to herself as a _TNA Knockout_…but hey, it wasn't any worse than being a _WWE Diva_.

She'd wished she could have kept calling herself Victoria though.

But in any event, TNA's opportunities for women soon dried up as well. The company was determined to expand and bring in major stars to compete with WWE. Major male stars. After TNA decided to put all its efforts into bringing Hulk Hogan under their umbrella (despite the fact that the man was well past his prime and incapable of working a full time schedule), the "Knockouts" soon became expendable. One by one they were let go so that more money could be spent on the men.

Lisa Marie had not been one of the women released, she was a big enough star that the company actually seemed to want her. But what was the point? There weren't any other women left for her to compete against. She had given her notice and resigned.

And now…she did autograph shows.

******'******

When there weren't any fans at her table, Lisa leaned back into her chair tried to think happy thoughts. Her quiet moment was soon interrupted by a voice from behind her…where no fan should have been able to go.

"Tough day, Sis?"

The words confused Lisa Marie. The voice didn't belong to any of her brothers, but sounded familiar nonetheless. When she rose from her chair and turned she found herself eye to eye with a man she hadn't seen in far too long.

"Lance!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around her former workout partner and 'twin brother' Lance Storm. "I had no idea you were at this show."

"Got an offer to appear at the last second," he explained. "You know I don't do many of these shows, but when I heard you and a few other old friends would be here, I figured it would be a nice change of pace."

Lisa Marie decided that a quick coffee break from her table was in order, and she and Lance left her table to head to a nearby café.

Though they hadn't seen each other in person for a few years, conversation flowed as easily as if they were actual siblings. The joke about them being brother and sister had started years ago back when Lance had still been an active wrestler on the WWE roster. He'd always had a reputation for being a no-nonsense, intensely serious man, which was fairly accurate. But he was not above using that reputation to play very successful, if somewhat low-key, practical jokes.

The greatest such hoax he'd ever pulled off was convincing wrestling journalists around the word that he and Lisa Marie were brother and sister. It had all started innocently enough, with the observation that the two shared similar skin tones, hair color, and both had pronounced widow's peaks in their hairlines. But from there the story had taken on a life of its own, with Lance regularly adding detailed and outlandish stories about their 'shared childhood'. Eventually they went from being mere siblings to twins, in spite of the fact that Lance was Canadian and Lisa Marie was American. Once, when confronted with this fact by a questioning fan, it had taken Lisa Marie everything she had not to crack up while Lance, with a straight face, explained that his mother had been right across the Canadian border when she'd gone into labor and that he'd been delivered in the backseat of the car before they'd made it back into the states, where Lisa Marie had then popped out.

To this day, there were still people that believed the tale.

Unfortunately, catching up with her 'bro' was so much fun that it was easy for Lisa Marie to lose track of the time. An errant glance to a clock on the café's wall revealed that she and Lance were spending a little too much time away from their tables at the autograph show. They hurried to pay their bill and leave.

But this proved complicated when the cash register was a little short on small bills. Both Lance and Lisa were more than happy to walk away without their change…but the nervous young cashier was convinced she would get would get in trouble with her boss if that were to happen. Lisa Marie was able to suggest a quick solution.

"Look, it's just four bucks," she said as she spied the lottery display next to the cash register. "Give us four of those Mega-Millions tickets and we'll be even."

The cashier was happy to oblige, and Lisa Marie and Lance then rushed back to the autograph show.

******'******

The unexpected reunion with Lance had a positive effect on Lisa Marie's mood and she had a much better time for the rest of the autograph show.

Once the fans were gone and the various guests were packing up the contents of their tables, Lance returned and asked her to join him and another old friend for dinner. She was happy to accept the invitation.

So later that evening Lisa Marie was sitting down in a quaint little hole in the wall with great food, sharing a booth with Lance and a man who'd been a great help to both their careers, Jim Cornette.

"I tell you this is a fine evening," Cornette declared, his words delivered in his customary rapid fire manner. "Sitting here, sharing war stories with two of the best workers to ever grace one of my promotions." He paused for fraction of a second, an eternity for him to stay silent. "The fact that neither of you is working for nationally televised company is a crime. More than a crime. It's sacrilegious."

Lance shook his head and chuckled. "Hey, I'm retired. I had a good career and I'm proud of it."

Cornette leaned slightly towards Lisa Marie and pointed towards Lance in a conspiratorial manner. "You see that there? That is a man who is content with life." His tone took on a note of false outrage as he addressed Lance. "And that is why you were never Heavyweight Champion. One of the best technicians of all time, but you were always happy just to be working in the business. You're too well-adjusted. If you'd been just a little bit more of a psychopath, you'd have been top guy in the company no question."

"If insanity is what it takes to succeed, Corny," Lisa Marie said to her fast-talking friend. "Then why aren't you running the wrestling business today?"

"Oh Victoria darlin', I love ya," he laughed. He always referred to her by her old ring name, but she didn't mind. The name had originated when she'd been training in the old _Ohio Valley Wrestling_ promotion that Cornette had been in charge of at the time. "But the truth is, maybe I've gotten a little too content myself. Time was I used to enjoy yelling and screaming at the WWE brain trust…ha, there's an oxymoron…but anyway, I used to love telling those morons exactly how they were ruining the business full-time. But these days? Hell, I'm glad to be gone from the company. I'd rather just go to little indie shows and talk to the fans."

As conversation continued, Lisa Marie mused over those words as she observed the two men. Lance did seem to project the aura of a man at peace with the world, but then he'd always been one of the most grounded individuals she'd ever known. And Cornette? Shockingly, he seemed content too. One of the most argumentive, hot-tempered, type-A personalities that the human species had ever produced…and now he was as cheerful and light hearted as a puppy with a pair of old shoestrings to chew on.

She was happy for both of them.

But it wasn't something she could say of herself.

Yes, she'd done well in the wrestling world. She'd been a five time world champion, with victories over the best in the world. The very best…Gail Kim, Awesome Kong, Molly Holly, Trish Stratus.

Trish Stratus.

It always came back to Trish, didn't it?

Because for all her accomplishments, for all her victories, odds were that Lisa Marie…that Victoria…would be remembered only as Trish Stratus' greatest opponent. Forever the first runner up to wrestling's golden goddess.

Trish was the reason she'd become a wrestler in the first place. There were issues between them that pre-dated their in-ring careers. Issues that would never be resolved now.

Hence, the lack of contentment.

"Victoria? You with us?" Cornette's voice suddenly caught her attention. She'd become so caught up in her own thoughts that she'd drifted out of the conversation.

"I'm sorry, what?" she responded, slightly embarrassed.

Cornette and Lance took her lapse as a sign of fatigue and decided it might be time to call it a night. Naturally an argument started over who would pay the bill, and Lisa Marie had no intention of letting either of the men make a chauvinistic gesture and pay for her share.

But when she opened her purse, the crumpled lottery tickets that she'd purchased earlier in the day were sitting atop the rest of the handbag's contents. She placed them on the table for a moment to search for some cash, only to have them become a target of Cornette's sarcasm.

"Oh my goodness," he said. "Victoria, don't tell me you throw good money away of those lottery scams?"

She explained the circumstances that led her to have the tickets, as Cornette picked one up and studied it.

"Forty million dollars to a single winner," he read. "And the drawing is tonight. Or was tonight…depending on whatever time they do these things."

A waitress had wandered over as Cornette held the ticket and overheard his comments.

"Oh they draw the numbers at nine o'clock," she said. "They show it on the TV." The woman turned and called out to a co-worker behind the counter at the other side of the diner. "Hey, Pearl! Turn on the TV and get the lottery numbers."

Within moments, an old somewhat battered television behind was tuned to a local station, and the image of a woman wearing too much make-up could be seen drawing numbered ping pong balls out of mechanical tumbler.

"You got one," Cornette laughed as the first number was drawn. Another laugh followed as a second number matched up.

But the laughs stopped and stunned expressions crossed all their faces as the drawing continued and Cornette continued to match numbers. He demanded a pen and quickly wrote down all the numbers on a napkin…and then he Lisa and Lance took turns double checking and then triple checking the ticket.

Lisa Marie carefully took the small piece of paper back into her own hands.

It was a forty million dollar winner.

******'******

Three old friends were gathered in Lance Storm's modest room at the local _Holiday Inn_. The hour was growing late but all of them were too pre-occupied to feel tired. The object that had so captured their attention was, of course, the forty million dollar lottery ticket.

Still not quite able to believe the reality of the situation, Lisa Marie had nevertheless discussed a variety of issues related to the jackpot. Lance and Corny had helped her figure out the procedure to properly claim the prize. Some phone calls to her financial planner and lawyer had been made, and tomorrow she'd be driving to the state capital to officially accept the money.

But now there were many decisions still to be made.

The first issue was whether or not she'd be making the claim alone. The ticket had been obtained in lieu of change for a bill that both she and Lance had shared. She felt he was entitled to some ownership of the ticket. Also, she offered a lesser portion of the prize to Cornette, feeling that if he hadn't made a big deal about the tickets at dinner, she would never have checked to see if she'd won. The winning ticket might have ended up in the trash.

The fact that neither man instantly accepted the offer was a testament to both their friendship and the fact that they'd been pretty lucky in life, all things considered. In truth, each of them were "technically" millionaires already, though just barely. "Millionaires on paper" as it were, but that was nowhere near as rich as it sounded. No, even if they split the prize money evenly, they'd all be vastly wealthier than they already were.

Of course Lance, ever the pragmatist, pointed out that taxes and other things would need to be considered. After looking up a few facts on his laptop and doing some rough math, he estimated that the highest payout would be obtained by having Lisa Marie claim all the money herself as a single winner. She'd end up with around twenty million after the government had taken its share. But then if she wanted to give any of her winnings to her friends, they'd be taxed as well. And Lance being a Canadian only made matters more complicated.

"I swear to God," Cornette declared. "What kind of world do we live in where you can win forty million bucks, and before it's all said and done you wind up owing more than you won to the blasted tax collectors? Almost makes me wish I voted Republican!"

"My lawyer is going to send me some info tomorrow," Lisa Marie said. "It'll lay out all the different options. Donating something to charity might be a good idea."

"You could look into claiming it for your business too," Lance said.

"You still own that pizza place?" Cornette piped up as he looked to Lisa Marie. "I thought you'd sold it."

"I did," she replied. "But I have a custom auto shop now. It's doing well."

"Now, that's good to hear," he responded. "You know, I'm glad you two were smart with your money. Back when I broke into the business, most of the boys spent twice as much as they made every week. Of course that was a different time…back when there were no worldwide wrestling companies. WWE was just the WWF and only ran shows in the northeast. You had the AWA, the NWA, the WWC…everyone kept to their own territory." He laughed. "Hell, if anyone had twenty million dollars back then, they could have started their own wrestling company and run it for ten years or more before they'd need to start making a profit."

After those words left his mouth, Lisa Marie's eyes lit up. She looked to Lance and a moment later the same sort of gleam appeared in his own eyes. As they stood there silence, Cornette turned his gaze from one to the other.

"Aw hell," he finally said. "You've both lost your damn minds!"

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes:_** _I've been a fan of pro wrestling for as long as I can remember. Nonetheless, I was SHOCKED when I discovered there was such a thing as wrestling fan fiction. But when I did, the desire to do a story in this genre almost immediately started to take hold. I've seen authors approach wrestling fics in vastly different ways...so here's a few notes on how I'll be writing. _

_- Pro wrestling is real in this story. It's a legitimate athletic competition where the grapplers are trying to defeat each other...not the pre-determined performances of real life. _

_- The wrestlers here are the characters you see on TV, not the real people. This is a strange thing with wrestling, as so many of the wrestling characters utilize "real" facts about their lives in their characters, some more than others. Since it varies so much by individual, different characters in the story will be handled in different ways. For example, as seen in this chapter, Victoria is simply a stage-name for Lisa Marie Varon - a fact that has been openly acknowledged in official WWE material pertaining to the character in the past. However, Molly Holly (who will be appearing later in the story) will be written as if that is her actual name, since part of her character's back story is that she is part of "wrestling's Holly family" alongside cousins Bob and "Crash" Holly. But the important thing to remember is that these are CHARACTERS...not the real people that portray them. _

_- Again, since these are characters, real life spouses and children are not going to enter into matters...unless they are also wrestlers and involved in the characters' back story. For example, everyone knows that Natalya (appearing in later chapters) is the daughter Jim Neidhart and niece of Bret Hart. _

_- All characters, unless otherwise noted, are single and free to have romances develop in the story. _

_- Wrestling characters change over time, sometimes in very bizarre ways. In this story, some characters who have gone through major changes will have those developments addressed...such as the fact that 'good girl' Mickie James (appearing in later chapters) first debuted in WWE as a deranged lesbian stalker. Ah...they just don't have storylines like that anymore. _

_- I try to write my stories so that they are understandable even to readers that may not know much about the subject matter. So if some of you wrestling fans are wondering why I bothered to explain that there are two major wrestling companies that Lisa Marie has worked for...well, you know that and I know that...but some people may not. Don't worry though. Basic information like that will be taken care of early on and become less evident as the story goes forward. _

_- Finally, this is a story that focuses on the ladies of wrestling as serious athletes...because that's what they are. The lack of respect by some wrestling fans is very annoying, and it encourages the companies to not bother promoting women with real talent. You say that the quality of too many women's matches these days is poor? What do you expect when one or both of the girls in the ring has never been shown how to work a match properly? Imagine how good things could be if there were a single roster that included Victoria, Molly, Trish and others alongside Gail Kim, Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Hamada, and the ladies who are at the top of their game today. But no...we have the women today spread thin between two different companies...and misused by both. Okay...rant over. _

_- The point is, if you don't respect women wrestlers...get lost. This story isn't for you._


	2. Chapter 2

"Will you two listen to yourselves?" Cornette all but shouted, as he started to get red in the face. "If you really want to blow through all that money why not just set that ticket on fire? It'll be a lot more efficient and won't give you as many ulcers."

"So how do you really feel about the idea, Corny?" Lance responded with his customary deadpan delivery.

Lisa Marie chuckled in spite of herself. Her idea for starting a new wrestling company for women only was not going over well with Cornette. And his opinion was not one to be ignored lightly, his brilliance when it came to the wrestling industry was unquestioned…even by his detractors.

But Lisa Marie believed that her idea could work. She was sure of it. For so long in her career, even when the women's division had been at its best, there had always been so many annoyances and problems that had held women's wrestling back. She and her peers had always been convinced that they could have achieved so much more, if only they'd been afforded the same level of support and opportunity as their male counterparts.

And she was glad to have Lance's unconditional support, though not surprised. The origins of their friendship could be traced back to the early days of her WWE career. Unlike some of the other male grapplers, Lance had always been respectful and supportive of the women. His passion for the business was primarily about the craft of wrestling itself. He appreciated anyone who worked seriously to improve their in-ring skills and had offered many pointers and tips to the ladies. Even better, he'd always conducted himself as a gentleman when working with the women…and as a result he was almost universally admired among Lisa Marie's peers.

And at the moment, there was another advantage to having Lance's support. He really knew how to deal with Cornette.

"I understand," Lance told the other man in a polite tone. "I get it. You think it's a bad idea. That's alright. We'll just give it a go by ourselves." He turned to address Lisa Marie, and gave her a quick wink before continuing. "So I think the first thing we should do is start nailing down some contracts with various arenas. We'll need to be a touring company, running shows from coast to coast."

"OH MY GOD!" Cornette exploded. "How in the hell can you even think that? If you want to have any chance at all of success, you need to establish--"

And with that…Cornette was off. The fast talking man immediately launched into a full on diatribe about what to do and what NOT to do when starting up a wrestling promotion. Lisa Marie grabbed a pen and paper and started jotting down notes, while Lance slyly directed the conversation…throwing out deliberately bad ideas every so often and causing Cornette to throw out a dozen new good ideas in response.

It actually didn't take Cornette too long to catch on to the ploy…but by that time, his mind was too wrapped up in tackling the challenges a new women's promotion would face.

"You both think you're so damn clever don't you?" he told Lance and Lisa Marie after they'd talked into the early hours of the morning. "Well, fine. In my career I've made almost every possible mistake a man can make in this business, so one more isn't going make much difference. I'm in."

And at the sound of those words, Lisa Marie knew that her idea was going to become a reality.

******'******

Of course, there were a lot of hurdles to jump. Documents were drawn up, papers were signed, endless phone calls were made…and that was all just to get ready for the real work.

The plan for the company was a sound one. Touring was not a goal. Instead they'd base themselves out of a single location, worrying only about one venue to run shows in and then taping those shows and looking to DVD sales for make up the bulk of their revenue until they could secure a television contract. The "home base" plan also would allow them to set up a training faculty that the women could use. Lance, having run his own wrestling school up in Canada since his retirement from competition, was the perfect person to oversee that.

But even with that plan, and the great deal of starting capital they had to invest, they were going to need a lot more money to keep the company strong and solvent until it had established itself. This would involve more investors…and that was problematic.

If they were going to bring anyone else into the ownership side of things they'd need someone who either truly understood the wrestling business, or who would be content to not interfere at all with the way the company was run. But nobody outside the wrestling industry with that kind of money would ever sign on for such a deal. And all the wealthiest people who did understand wrestling were currently working or heavily involved with either WWE or TNA.

With one notable exception.

******'******

Lisa Marie, Lance and Corny looked at the display case full of pictures and trophies in the waiting room outside the office. At the center of the case was a custom-made plaque that appeared to be solid gold. Inscribed on the plague was a long list of achievements.

"United States Champion, Intercontinental Champion, three time Tag Team Champion, seventeen time Hardcore Wrestling Champion," Lisa Marie read aloud before pausing to make an observation. "Underneath that, he's got each of his Hardcore Championship reigns listed individually."

"He's never exactly been shy about blowing his own horn," Cornette commented.

Lisa continued reading. "WWE Champion with the longest individual title reign in _Smackdown_ history.

"And a bona-fide WRESTLING GOD!" a great booming voice sounded from behind them.

All three turned to see the large form of John Bradshaw Layfield…JBL…retired wrestler, millionaire investor and over-bearing loudmouth. He was wearing both his trademark cowboy hat and trademark smirk.

"Corny, it's been too long," he said as he gave Cornette a friendly slap on the back. "And Victoria, you are always a welcome sight." He gallantly took her hand and raised it up to kiss it.

"You haven't changed," she said in response.

"And why would I, darlin'?" he replied. "You don't mess with perfection."

The tall man then turned to Lance and paused. "And you are?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

"Very funny," Lance replied as he wondered again if it wouldn't have been better for Lisa Marie and Cornette to have handled this meeting without him. He and JBL had never been on the friendliest of terms. Inside of the ring, the two had all the respect in the world for one another's abilities…but outside of the ring their contrasting personalities had always mixed about as well as oil and water.

Despite that, when all four of them sat down to talk business, things went very well.

In many ways, Layfield was the epitome of the "old boys' network" aspect of the wrestling industry. As such, he'd never championed women's wrestling…but unlike other "traditionalists" he'd never been dismissive of it either.

In his years with WWE, JBL had seen how hard some of the women had worked and how little appreciation they'd gotten. It reminded him of aspects of his own career. He'd been told often that his size and toughness would enable him to make a living as a wrestler, but that he'd never be a main-event superstar. Of course, the people that had told him that had no idea just how stubborn he was. In the end, sheer bull-headedness and a sizable ego had taken him all the way to the top championship in the industry.

So despite having a reputation for being more than a bit of a bully, he also had a soft spot for underdogs.

"This could work," he finally said, after Lisa Marie had finished laying out the proposal. "I really think this could work. But if I buy in, how are we going to run things?"

The negotiations that followed were quite complex…but ended up with all four of them happy. All of them would be equal co-owners and split profits evenly. Cornette would be the commissioner of the promotion itself and be in charge of the match making and managing the wrestlers. Lance would be in charge of training. JBL would handle business negotiations, and also serve as part of the broadcast team.

Lisa Marie would have no authority when it came to the other employees, as she wanted to compete on the roster as an active wrestler. When the time came that she wanted to retire from competition, then she would have full executive powers equal to the other partners.

It took just over two weeks for the final business details to be ironed out for the formation of the FWF – Female Wrestling Federation.

And then the recruitment drive started.

******'******

For most of the women contacted, the timing was perfect. Those not employed by either WWE or TNA were excited to have a new option to explore. And many that were already employed were unhappy with their current bosses.

JBL's business savvy proved invaluable at this time, as he was able to easily buy out the contracts of any ladies signed with the other companies. He actually made the bean counters at WWE and TNA believe they were getting a great deal. The idea was that they could make an immediate profit be releasing any of their current women who wanted to leave, and replace them with new girls that would work for much less. And since the WWE and TNA officials didn't believe the FWF would last as a viable organization, they could later rehire any of the women they released…at a lesser rate of pay.

By playing into these ideas, JBL was not only able to purchase contracts, he was able to purchase intellectual property rights as well. Any of the girls that came to join the FWF were able to bring any assumed ring-names and theme music with them.

And Lisa Marie was able to call herself Victoria once again.

******'******

Offers were made to virtually every woman currently working in the business, even the less talented ones. The thinking behind this was three fold.

- The larger the roster, the more variety of match-ups they could have.

- Some of the poorly trained models might discover hidden potential if they were given the chance to learn properly. Victoria had actually become good friends with Lena Yada, one of the less successful women that WWE had brought in a few years earlier. She'd felt that if Lena had been given proper guidance, she might have developed into a real wrestler.

- And it was a great opportunity to teach some of those untrained models, the ones with bad attitudes, what real wrestling was all about.

But the recruitment drive wasn't limited to just in-ring talent. Being an organization for women, the founders wanted females to work in a variety of roles.

Christy Hemme, who'd been forced to abandon her own wrestling career due to a neck injury, was hired to be an on-air interviewer.

And it was also decided that a woman should be in the broadcast team to call the matches alongside JBL. Of course that job would require a woman that was knowledgeable, good on the microphone and had a strong enough personality to not be dominated by the bombastic cowboy.

The answer was obvious.

******'******

"So of course I took the job," Ivory told her friend as they drove together to the autograph show. "I'll be doing play by play…what other woman has ever been the lead play by play announcer? And working with JBL? That's going to be a trip! I mean okay…he can be a jerk, but he's one of the best at color commentary. This is going to be great!"

Ivory's friend just smiled and nodded, happy that the older woman was so excited about her new job.

"So I think this could really take off," the talkative woman continued. "I've been keeping track of all the women who've signed on. Lots of talent. I'm actually almost tempted to turn down the broadcast job and get back in the ring. I mean, face it, I'm still in great shape."

The quieter woman nodded in agreement. There was no denying that Ivory had been fairly successful so far in the battle against Father Time. She looked better than many women half her age, and was still quite an athlete.

"Yeah," Ivory went on. "I should go out there and show them that a woman going into her early-forties can still get in the ring and win."

That finally produced a more animated response from Ivory's friend.

"Early-forties?" the other woman spoke up with a laugh. "Going into? Come on. I know when you were born."

"And I've sworn you to secrecy," Ivory told her younger friend. "Don't forget that."

"If these are still your early-forties, when do you hit the mid-forties?"

"The day before my fiftieth birthday," Ivory responded quickly.

"And your late-forties?"

Ivory paused for a moment as if to consider. "How about when I'm fifty-five? Yeah, that'll work."

The other woman laughed again. "You are something."

There was a slight pause in the conversation, then Ivory spoke in a more serious tone.

"I noticed that you haven't signed on with the FWF yet."

"I don't think it's right for me," her friend said in a small voice.

Ivory exhaled in an annoyed manner. "That's crazy talk. This company needs women like you, Molly."

Molly Holly, kept looking in front of her at the road. "I'm retired. I've been retired for years."

"You retired when you were twenty-seven," Ivory shot back. "Only twenty-seven and one of the greatest wrestlers in the world. I still wrestled like crap when I was that age, but you…you were amazing."

"I needed to walk away," Molly said quietly.

Ivory frowned. "Sweetie, you know I love you, but you didn't walk away. You ran."

"Can we not have this conversation?" A note of anger sounded in the younger woman's voice.

"Are you telling me to shut up? Because lots of people have tried that over the years and it hasn't worked yet."

Molly shook her head and sighed. "You do have a big mouth."

The older woman spoke in a gentler tone. "Molly, I know we've talked about this before…and I gave up trying to change your mind because the business started to turn bad. There was no point in you going back then. But now...with a new group that's nothing but women wrestlers? Molly, you can't pass this up. You're only thirty-two. With your talent, you could go straight back to the top and stay there for a decade or more."

"I don't know if I can. Not after--"

"You've got to let it go," Ivory cut her off, knowing the incident that troubled her friend so. At _Wrestlemania XX_, the biggest single show in the history of the business up to that time, Molly had tried to regain the Women's Championship from Victoria, who'd won the belt from her in an arguably unfair circumstance. Molly felt that her long and illustrious title reign entitled her to a rematch on the grandest stage of them all…Madison Square Garden. But her requests had fallen on somewhat deaf ears. As a result, she'd had to agree to a special stipulation for the match. It was turned into a Hair Match.

Molly lost and then had her head shaved bald in front of a worldwide audience.

"I was humiliated," she protested.

"I know, sweetie," Ivory replied. "But you know what? And I'm not joking here. Even for the humiliation, I would've traded places with you in a heartbeat."

Molly spared her an incredulous glance before shifting her eyes back to the road.

"I'm serious," the older woman continued. "I know it was bad…but think about the other side of it. You wrestled for the title belt at _Wrestlemania XX_! Madison Square Garden! Your match was just a couple away from the main event. You and Victoria are the only women in history that can say that. Not even Trish Stratus, she didn't wrestle that match…you did. I swear Molly, I would have shaved my own head if I could have had your spot on the card that night."

Molly was silent for a time before responding. "In my head, I know you're right. But I feel like everything went so wrong. It's not just that I lost…or the haircut…it was just everything at once. I should never have lost the belt in the first place. I shouldn't have had to beg for a rematch. When I got the match, I should've been more focused. I was off my game completely, and I never got back on track afterwards. You know the losing streak I went on. I was hopeless."

"And that's why this is your chance to make things right," Ivory said. "Get back into the ring. Show the world just how good you are. Hell, wrestle Victoria again. Show everyone that you can beat her."

Once again, Molly hesitated before answering. But when she finally did speak, her words caused Ivory to smile.

"I suppose I could give it a try."

******'******

**_To be continued… _**

******'******

**_author's notes: _**_Hope you're all enjoying the story so far. Please review, I truly appreciate feedback. _

_In this story, I'm going to include certain things that are inspired by actual anecdotes from reality. For example, in the first chapter, the story about Lance and Victoria's 'brother/sister' joke is based on an actual hoax that Lance Storm started for real and kept up for several years with the help of Victoria and Trish Stratus, both of whom 'confirmed' the story whenever asked. _

_As for Lance being supportive of the women wrestlers...this is also true. His friend Dave 'Fit' Finlay, oversaw the women's division during its heyday, and Lance often pitched in to help work with the women and improve their in-ring skills._

_Ivory (Lisa Moretti) and Molly Holly (Nora Greenwald) were often travel partners during their time in WWE, and are great fun if you've ever seen them at an autograph show together. The line about Ivory shaving her own head to have Molly's spot is based on an unused contingency plan for that famous match. Many fans know that in reality, it was Molly's idea for the hair match at Wrestlemania XX…but not as many people are aware that Ivory was in line to be the back-up plan in case either Molly or Victoria were injured or otherwise unable to work that night. At a fan convention a couple of years ago, Ivory detailed how she had volunteered for that role…and to be the one who lost her hair no matter who she faced. If she'd gone against Victoria, Ivory would have lost cleanly and been shaved. But if she'd faced Molly, they were going to switch things up and have Ivory win…but then fall victim to a sneak attack after the match so that Molly would end up shaving Ivory anyway. This would've set up a future rematch where Ivory could have her revenge and cut off all of Molly's hair. Of course, both Molly and Victoria were injury free and able to work the event as planned, so Ivory didn't get her big Wrestlemania moment that year…but at least she did get to keep her hair. _


	3. Chapter 3

Not everyone who'd been invited decided to join the FWF.

A few women who worked for the other companies in primarily non-wrestling roles were happy to stay where they were.

Some women like Jazz, Dawn Marie and Candice Michelle had recently started families and were much more interested in staying home with their children. Others like Stacy Keibler, Jacqueline Moore and Lita had shifted their focus to new careers. All of them wished the new organization luck though and hoped for its success.

The woman known only as Awesome Kong had gone to work for a wrestling company in Japan and, curiously, had not replied to any of the efforts to reach her. That was disappointing. For while Kong was a rather scary and violent individual…she was also one of the most dominant women the sport had ever seen. Her absence was a notable one.

Though not the most notable.

Trish Stratus had been invited…of course. It would have been the height of insanity not to invite her. The biggest name in women's wrestling…the record breaking seven time World Champion. The FWF wanted her on the roster. Even Victoria wanted her on the roster, personal issues be damned. But Trish had politely declined, explaining that she was busy with several projects, including her fitness studio. But she too wished the promotion luck.

And maybe, it was for the best. That was what Victoria told herself. Maybe the absence of Trish's golden glow would give others, including herself, a chance to truly shine.

******'******

The building they'd acquired for their venue was not the largest, but with ten thousand seats it wasn't going to look small-time or low budget, especially not after JBL had arranged for it to be refurbished. They named it the Burke Arena, in honor of Mildred Burke, the very first Women's Champion.

It was in that building that all the women gathered on the FWF's "Day One" and listened to Jim Cornette deliver a welcome speech and lay out the plans for the future.

Having an "old school" philosophy when it came to wrestling, Cornette stressed that the organization was going to have honest competition as one of its hallmarks.

"If you aren't here to try and be the best and win the title belt, why exactly are you in this business?" he asked the assembled ladies. "A championship belt only means something if it's respected. And that's why we're not going to be screwing around with title matches. No 'three-way dances', no 'fatal four ways' or any of that other crap that Vince McMahon is so fond of. We'll have matches like that, sure…but NEVER for a title. The Women's Championship will always be decided one on one."

Those words resonated strongly with many of the women, but none more so than Molly. It had been a four-woman elimination match that had ended her last WWE title reign and led to the humiliating loss against Victoria.

When Cornette paused to take questions, Natalya Neidhart was the first to stand up. "Is there going to be a tag team championship too?"

Victoria had to smile at the question. As the product of one wrestling's most legendary families, Natalya had always strived to live up to her impressive lineage. Victoria knew the woman well enough to guess her ambitions.

_She's going to want the single's title and the tag belts both…probably at the same time if she can manage it. I wonder if she's picked out a partner already? _

The idea of forming a tag team with Natalya was appealing. She was one of the better friends Victoria had in the business, but then again, the single's championship was Victoria's first priority. She thought it best to concentrate on that goal.

Cornette confirmed to the group that the FWF would have a tag team championship as well and that the first title-holders would be determined by a tournament.

"But any of ya'll that are interested in the tag titles are going to have some time yet to get together and choose partners. Because we're not going to deal with tag teams until we've crowned our first champion. Our first show is going to be a one night tournament that will determine the FWF World Champion."

In an instant, many women spoke at once. Everyone wanted to know how large the tournament would be and which of them would be in it. Victoria was as anxious to know as all the others, since this was a matter that Cornette, Lance and JBL had decided. As an active wrestler, she'd not been privy to the details.

"Any of you that have held the women's title in either WWE or TNA will be invited to take part in the tournament," Cornette explained. "After we see how many of you accept, we'll open up any remaining spots we need to the rest of you who want to take part."

This announcement caused more than a little confusion.

"Hold on," Melina spoke up from the crowd. "You almost sound like you expect some of us to NOT want to be in the tournament. What's that about?"

"Yeah," Gail Kim chimed in. "Like you said before, we're here to be the best. We all want to be champion. At least I know I do."

"That's what I like to hear," Cornette responded. "But this tournament is where you get to show your commitment…and where we get to show that there's going to be no favoritism. All of you have an equal opportunity here, but where there are rewards, there are also risks."

JBL got up from his seat and joined Cornette. At the same time, a couple of men carried in a large flat object, covered by a sheet. They stood the object up behind JBL and then left.

"You see, this tournament is going to be more than just the way we crown our champion," the big man explained. "This is also our first chance to present ourselves to the world at large and find an audience." His grin looked even more self-satisfied than usual. "Because we're not going to build things up slowly through DVD sales. I'm happy to announce that we will be nationally televised from the get go."

Surprise and then excitement spread through the assembled women as JBL detailed how he'd secured a deal for a two hour weekly television show that would be shown on over ninety percent of cable systems in the country.

"Now since we want to make a big splash, we need all the excitement and drama we can get. So the tournament is going to have some interesting twists," JBL continued. "We want to grab publicity…and ratings." He then stepped back to let Cornette resume speaking.

"First of all, none of you that are in the tournament will know who you are facing or in what order on the card you'll be wrestling. Each of you needs to be ready at the start of the show and get your butts down to the ring as soon as your name is called."

The ladies considered this. The uncertainty of that equation troubled some of them momentarily…but all quickly realized that it wasn't a real problem. All of them would be in the same boat, as it were, and none of them would have any unfair advantage.

"Once two ladies have been called to the ring, then we add a new twist," Cornette went on. He walked over to the mystery object that had been brought in and pulled off the sheet, revealing a vertically mounted spinning wheel, like those that could be found at carnival games and some casinos.

"This is the Wheel of Risk and Reward," he announced. "Before each bout, we do one spin of the wheel, and the result will tell you what type of match each of you will be competing in."

Lacey Von Erich spoke up at that point. "What do you mean…type of match? Aren't we going to have wrestling matches?"

There was a moment where just about everyone in the room rolled their eyes, shook their heads or muttered under their breath. Lacey was about as popular with her fellow wrestlers as she was intelligent. In other words…not at all.

"Lacey darlin', you must have an excellent sense of direction," Cornette said in a sarcastic tone. "Because I'm willing to bet you've never been lost in thought. Now as I was saying…" He pointed back to the wheel. It was divided into sections, but each section was blank…or so it first appeared. Cornette reached to the edge of the wheel and peeled back the plastic covering of one section to reveal the words: Standard Match.

"There you go," he explained. "If the wheel ends up here, the two ladies in the ring will have a straight up, normal match."

Everyone could easily understand the concept as Cornette uncovered the other sections. Options included a Cage Match, Hardcore Match, Ladder Match, and a Submission Match.

But when sections were revealed with labels like "Slime Time" and "Bare Essentials" – questions began.

"Slime Time is just a standard match," JBL piped up. "But with a little something extra at the end. The winner gets to dump a bucket of slime over the loser's head."

Again there was some eye rolling, but no strong complaints. Throughout history, even the most serious of wrestling promotions had always included a bit of "showbiz" in their presentation. A bit of harmless comedy like this was hardly a problem. Indeed, many of the ladies thought it might be fun to administer such a penalty to certain rivals.

But the "Bare Essentials" explanation nearly started a riot.

"A bra-and-panties match! A GOD DAMN BRA-AND-PANTIES MATCH!" Ivory yelled with undisguised fury. Her contempt for such spectacles (which were once common in WWE) was well-known. Even though she was a very outgoing and rather forward woman that nobody would ever accuse of dressing modestly, she had nothing but venom for what she'd always called "jiggle shows pretending to be matches."

"Now hold on," Cornette tried to explain…but Ivory wasn't ready to relinquish the floor.

"What else do you have on that wheel?" she demanded. "A Lingerie Battle Royal? A Tag Team Pillow Fight? A god damn Sex Toy on a Pole match?"

Many of the other women stared daggers at Cornette as Ivory continued her rant. Though some of the younger wrestlers did pause and ask the veterans if there actually ever was such a thing as a Sex Toy on a Pole match.

The veterans either ignored the question or gave a quick warning to "never speak of such things again."

But Cornette refused to be cowed by the hostile crowd. When Ivory finally finished, he explained the reasoning behind "Bare Essentials." Unlike WWE jiggle shows, the FWF version would not be about two women trying to tear each other's clothes off. In fact, such a maneuver would lead to an automatic loss. The idea was that the women would wrestle an old-fashioned 2 out of 3 falls match, but both would be required to wear a two-piece outfit. Losing a fall would require sacrificing part of their clothing, and ultimately leave one woman with nothing but her underwear.

"I've seen what some of y'all wear to the beach, so I don't think this match is any sort of insult to you," Cornette concluded. "Even if you lose both falls you're still going to be perfectly decent."

"And face it ladies," JBL added. "Sex sells. We need to grab as big an audience as possible right out of the gate."

Many of the women continued to complain, feeling that Cornette and JBL were being sexist, but a new point was raised when Lance spoke up.

"I understand why some of you feel this is exploitative," he said. "But there's another side to this that hasn't been mentioned yet. It's the reason we've adjusted the rules and made this into a traditional 2 out of 3 falls match. As JBL said, like it or not, sex sells. We're going to get a lot of fans tuning in just to see some of you show a little skin. But what else are they going to see besides that?"

He looked around the room before pointing to Natalya and then Gail Kim.

"Imagine you two in a straight up wrestling match, two out of three falls. That's a mat classic in the making right there. Wrestling purists would salivate at the idea of seeing two technicians like you go for three falls." He scanned the room further. "Or Molly and Hamada. And there are others I can pick out and say the same. So if a match up like that were to happen…all those people who were just hoping to see some skin would also see some of the finest in-ring work that ANY wrestling program has to offer."

"The gimmick brings them in," JBL interjected. "But your talent is what will keep them coming back."

"And we're not making the Bare Essentials match a regular feature," Cornette added. "This is just a ploy to attract attention."

Even Ivory could concede to the logic behind the men's thinking. Indeed, there was a certain appeal to the notion of transforming the hated "bra-and-panties" spectacle into a showcase for great wrestling.

But after that had been settled, there was still a final section of the wheel that hadn't been uncovered. This section was smaller than all the others, so it would be the least likely result a spin of the wheel could produce.

But that fact didn't make any of the women feel better when the section was uncovered. In fact, Molly paled considerably when she saw what the final match type on the wheel was.

A Hair Match.

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes:_** _At one time, the bra-and-panties match was a WWE staple. Not surprisingly, some of the women weren't very fond of them…Ivory in particular. She felt the matches were poorly worked and tended to reward unskilled models with TV time while the more talented women wrestlers were overlooked. WWE has also featured Lingerie Battle Royals and Tag Team Pillow Fights. I don't think they've done an actual Sex Toy on a Pole match, though those did take place a few times at independent wrestling shows. Please review. _


	4. Chapter 4

Cornette hadn't been lying when he said there would be risks involved in the tournament.

It was funny in a way, really. Women wrestlers faced the possibility of serious injury every single time they stepped into the ring. That didn't bother them in the least. But the idea of having their hair cut off? That gave them all pause.

Of course, the Hair Match had never exactly been a welcome feature to male wrestlers either. Pride and ego were major components of the business. Nobody liked to lose. But normally, the sting of losing one night could be erased by a convincing victory the next.

Not so with a Hair Match. A loss in such a contest would leave one carrying a reminder of the defeat for a long time.

And that was just the tip of the iceberg for the women wrestlers. Though they were from diverse backgrounds, most all of them had been very athletic in their teens…and many of them had been taunted for being so. Their femininity had been questioned. Hurtful insults had been hurled (from a distance in most cases…to avoid physical reprisals.)

And perhaps it was for this reason that long flowing hair was almost a universal trait among the women wrestlers. It was an obvious way to advertise glamour and beauty to society at large.

Indeed, Molly's hair reached down to brush the top of her shoulders, and she had the shortest tresses in the room…with one exception. And it wasn't lost on her that the one exception was not exactly by choice. Nikki Roxx, more popularly known as Roxxi, wore her hair in an attractive chin length style…but that was only because she too had lost a Hair Match a few years ago.

But while the threat of risking their locks did weigh heavily on their minds, the women were still competitors. And the odds were actually in their favor. With luck, the entire tournament might not see a single Hair Match in all the spins of the wheel. It was certainly a possibility.

So when Cornette asked which of the former champions wanted to sign up, it didn't take long to get responses. The FWF had twelve women on the active roster who had reigned at the top of WWE or TNA.

A line of eleven quickly formed.

"Why aren't you up there?" Ivory whispered to Molly as the younger woman remained in her seat. "Come on! You've got a spot waiting for you."

Molly quietly stammered some attempted excuses which were met with a withering gaze from her friend. But she found an escape from Ivory's stern look when Lance called out her name.

"Molly?" he asked. "Aren't you signing up?"

"No," she said in a clear voice, causing a few raised eyebrows among her peers. "I've been retired for the past few years. I don't think it would be fair to step into the tournament on my first match back. I'll work my way up to a title shot the old fashioned way." She paused. "It'll give me a chance to work off any ring rust I may have picked up."

It was a reasonable sounding explanation…and perfectly logical. Some of the other wrestlers thought it was a wise and honorable decision. Most of them were just happy as it opened up another free spot in the tournament. But Ivory just looked at her good friend and shook her head.

Once Molly had declined and all the other ex-champions had accepted...Cornette, Lance and JBL called for a short break to the meeting. The final tournament spots would be filled out once the meeting was resumed.

******'******

During the break, Michelle McCool sat back and pondered about what she could do to improve her chances of winning the tournament. As a former champion her spot was already secured, but even with her considerable arrogance she could recognize that she had some very tough competition in front of her.

But her thoughts were interrupted by her associate and sometimes tag team partner, Layla El.

"I've got a good feeling," the British-born beauty told Michelle. "I bet you're going to win the tournament."

"That's the plan," the tall blonde responded. "God knows I'm better than all the rest of these bimbos. Still, a lot can happen in a situation like this."

Layla offered some supportive platitudes but Michelle tuned her out. The less experienced woman was more of a pawn than a friend in Michelle's eyes. But pawns have their uses.

"You know what?" she suddenly told Layla. "You should be in the tournament too."

Layla's eyes widened in surprise. "Me? You think I…really?"

"Absolutely," Michelle responded. "Your talents have been overlooked for too long."

Layla smiled at the praise. Usually she was the one who was complimenting Michelle. But the idea of being in the tournament was somewhat intimidating. Though Layla had a scrappy attitude and was certainly in excellent shape, she hadn't had as much ring time as many of the other girls who'd been in the business for a similar amount of time. In WWE the only things that made her stand out were her exotic good looks (thanks to her Moroccan heritage) and her English accent. Indeed, she'd aligned herself with McCool in an effort to improve her in-ring skills. Sadly, she'd yet to realize that the more accomplished wrestler viewed her as a lackey and not a protégé.

"You've got to do it," Michelle went on. "With both of us in the tournament, we've doubled our chances of getting the gold. Odds are that I'll sail through to ultimate victory…but if something happens and I'm eliminated by some fluke, you'll still have a shot."

"But…what if we end up facing each other in one of the matches?" Layla asked.

Michelle smiled. That was actually what she was hoping for. The blonde was confident she could get a quick win over Layla in such a case. And even if they never ended up facing each other, Layla's participation in the tournament would leave less room for other, more formidable opponents.

"If that happens, we'll have a nice fair match," the blonde said in a falsely reassuring tone. "I'm sure you'll give me a good contest."

While she'd been perhaps too trusting of Michelle in the past, Layla didn't miss the slight note of condescension in her tone.

"And what if we're in a Hair Match? Are we going to have a nice fair fight then?"

Michelle tried to laugh off such an idea. "I'm sure that won't happen. Odds are we won't even face each other in the tournament…unless we both end up in the finals."

Layla scoffed. Her so-called friend's falseness was so obvious that Layla was angry at herself for never recognizing it before. But, when she was angry she tended to make rash decisions. In this instance, she made two.

"Fine, I'm going to try and get a spot in the tournament," she said as her eyes flashed with hostility. "But you'd better hope we don't face each other. Because I'm in it to win…not to be your lapdog anymore."

Michelle was taken aback only for a moment as Layla turned and stalked off. She smirked an instant later though. She'd gotten what she'd wanted after all. And she really didn't care about not having Layla as a pawn anymore once the tournament was over. All she cared about was winning the gold.

******'******

When the meeting resumed, Cornette announced that there were five openings left in the tournament and then asked which ladies were interested. He, Lance and JBL had discussed what to do if more than five women stepped forward…but fortunately that eventuality didn't come to pass.

While every woman there did want to be champion, during the break many of them had considered whether it would be better to enter the tournament or wait and see who ended up as the first title-holder. And certainly the risk of the wheel did weigh on their minds.

Still, there were some that volunteered immediately. Natalya, Hamada, and Layla were quick to step up. Nobody was surprised at the first two, being that they were consummate wrestlers and easily among the best in the world. Layla's entry was much more of a shock.

But after they had been added to the list, they were soon joined by two more top contenders: Roxxi and Melissa Anderson. Melissa was better known to most as Alissa Flash, the name she'd used in TNA. But her tenure in that company had grown so frustrating before she'd left that she wanted no reminders of her time there…so she'd chosen to wrestle under her real name.

And so, the participants for the first ever FWF Championship Tournament were finalized.

******'******

The first night of FWF matches would be held two weeks after the "Day One" meetings. That time was very busy for everyone involved. Commercials were shot, interviews were given, and wrestlers trained.

Many of the women took advantage of the first rate training facility that Lance oversaw. Victoria practically lived in the building…and loved every minute of it. She'd always been highly disciplined in the gym, but her enthusiasm for the new wrestling promotion had lit a fire within her unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

As usual though, she liked to find her own corner of the gym and train by herself. Training too close to other women often brought out feelings of rivalry and resulted in ego clashes that distracted her from the workout.

So she wasn't exactly happy one evening when she was approached by Mickie James.

"Hey Victoria," the usually perky brunette said in a rather subdued tone. "How's it going?"

It seemed like a simple attempt at being friendly…which was somewhat odd. Mickie and Victoria had never been friends. In fact, their previous battles in the ring had often been very intense…though they'd never held any great personal animosity for one another. The fierceness of their matches was simply born out of how good both women were in the ring. They had to fight very hard if they had any intention of besting the other.

But it had never been personal.

"What do you want?" Victoria said somewhat coldly, feeling suspicious of the other woman. She was surprised at the hesitant but sincere response.

"I wanted to thank you," Mickie said. "For starting this company. It's…a really good thing."

"I hope it will be," Victoria replied as she took a break from her workout. She grabbed a water bottle and sat down. Mickie leaned against a nearby weight machine and, somewhat to their surprise, a cordial conversation followed.

Like many other women wrestlers, Mickie had known much frustration during her career. In fact, despite her considerable successes (she was a multiple-time champion) Mickie had known more frustration than most. For reasons that no sane person could ever figure out, Mickie had never been very popular with WWE management. She was an incredible performer and had a great deal of affection from the fans…but sometimes it seemed like Vince McMahon and his cronies took considerable delight in making her backstage life miserable.

"I was thinking about quitting," she confessed to Victoria. "That's how bad it had gotten. I considered trying TNA…but I'd heard that things were going to hell there too."

"You heard right," the taller woman agreed. "It really has gone to hell."

"But then I got the invitation to join the FWF." Mickie smiled. "It was a godsend."

The more the two talked, the more comfortable they became with one another. They had much in common. Passion for their sport. Feelings of being unappreciated. A similar drive to excel.

Unresolved issues with Trish Stratus.

The name had come up innocently enough, when Mickie had asked about the few women who'd turned down FWF invitations, but then it seemed that Trish became a dominant figure in the conversation. Both Victoria and Mickie took turns weighing the pros and cons of not having Trish on the roster. This led to discussing the blonde beauty's continuing popularity.

And then rehashes of former battles with the Canadian superstar.

Finally neither could take it any longer.

"God, can we just forget about Trish for a while?" Victoria laughed. "Seriously? We sound like two jilted lovers."

Mickie sighed. "If only."

Victoria shook her head. "What? You're a lesbian again?"

"Again?" Mickie shot her a puzzled look. "I wasn't aware that I'd ever stopped."

"Weren't you dating John Cena for a while?" Victoria asked in a mocking tone.

"Oh come on!" Mickie exclaimed. "You know there was nothing to that. John and I were doing a lot of charity events together…we sort of became pals. People started to gossip. It was all BS."

Victoria knew all that was true, but she continued to joke about the matter which caused Mickie to retaliate by bringing up Victoria's own romantic history.

"Okay, I give up," the elder woman said as she raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. "My love life has been stunningly craptacular." She paused. "Though to be fair, I'm sure I wasn't the easiest person to date in the past. You might find this hard to believe…but I've sometimes had anger management trouble."

"No! Not you!"

Both women laughed for quite some time.

"I have to say," Mickie finally admitted. "I never realized you could be so…likable." She frowned. "That came out pretty bad, didn't it?"

"Yeah it did. But lucky for you I'm so easy going and forgiving," Victoria deadpanned.

Another long round of laughter followed. Then they were both quiet for a moment.

"Are you going to be training much longer tonight?" Mickie finally asked.

"I think I'm done for now. Why?"

"Would you like to...go get a drink?"

The corners of Victoria's mouth threatened to turn upwards into a smile.

"Yeah, I think I would." She paused. "But I'm not going to...tonight."

"Why not?"

"We're both in the tournament, aren't we?" Victoria answered. "I don't think now's a good time for things to get...complicated."

Mickie sighed and nodded. "You're right." She grinned. "Will you be willing to have a drink after I win the belt?"

"That'll be a long time to wait for a drink," the taller woman answered. "But I might have a drink with you after I win."

"We'll see."

******'******

A few days before the tournament was to begin, Michelle McCool took another step to improve her chances for victory. Yes, she had been training hard...but she had plans to put into motion as well.

Of course, she had to decide exactly how those plans would best be executed. So she considered her options.

Lance Storm was far too straight laced and honorable to approach. Cornette was too ornery and unpredictable. JBL was the obvious choice.

So she got herself an appointment, put on tight dress that was low cut up top and cut high at the bottom, and was soon on her way with the intention of seducing the big cowboy.

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes:_** _Please review. Your feedback is important to me. _

_As you may have noticed...Mickie James is quite clearly a lesbian in this story. That's how her character started in WWE (as a woman completely smitten with Trish Stratus) and though that aspect has been ignored for years...it's odd that she's one of the only women in the company who's never had an onscreen storyline romance with any of the male wrestlers. Indeed, she's only had a brief onscreen flirtation with John Cena once...and that was only because the two were actually dating in real life at the time. _

_As for Victoria...her character has gone through storylines with male wrestlers at some times...but teased more than a bit of lesbian subtext at other times (fixated on Trish...kissing Candice when they were both bad girls, etc.) So in this story, her character is bisexual. _

_As to Michelle McCool trying to sleep with someone to advance her career...well, some of her critics have contended that her success in WWE is due to her being romantically linked to one of the most respected and important male wrestlers in the company. I'm not sure if that's an entirely fair charge. For one thing, her boyfriend has long had a reputation for behaving honorably in regards to backstage politics. Also, Michelle is tall, athletic, has a great look, and is competent (though not great) in the ring. But that's in real life. Since her character in the story is a total bitch...I'm having her be a manipulative tramp as well. :) _


	5. Chapter 5

"So you already know what the match ups for the first round of the tournament will be?"

Michelle's tone was just a tad lower than her normal speaking voice. She made a point of licking her lips as she finished the question. Subtle, she was not.

JBL couldn't keep the grin off his face.

"Yes, Cornette already set the match ups, but the actual match type won't be decided until both ladies are in the ring." He leaned back in his chair. "Now I'm guessing that you're here to try and find out who your first opponent will be."

Michelle smiled seductively. She had figured that the direct approach would work best with the man. She adjusted her position in her chair to give JBL a better view of her cleavage.

"If I happened to know who I'd be facing…and that person just happened to have a mysterious accident in the locker room before the match started…"

"That would give you a nice advantage, wouldn't it?" JBL finished the thought. "Good strategic thinking."

"I knew you'd understand," the leggy blonde continued. "But I also wanted you to understand just how thankful I'd be to someone who could provide me with that information."

JBL took a long admiring look at the woman. He'd always found her attractive…and the downright brazenness of her come on was quite entertaining. He was definitely enjoying this little business meeting.

Shame it was going to have to end so soon.

"It's too bad nobody's going to be able to help you out," he finally said, his satisfied grin still intact. "You're going to have go out and win fair and square."

The flash of annoyance on her face amused JBL even further. But it only lasted a moment. Michelle was quickly back to negotiating mode.

"JBL…John," she cooed. "I'm not kidding. I'll do anything to win this tournament." She rose from her chair and walked around the desk. She leaned down all but thrusting her breasts into the man's face. "Anything."

"Oh, I don't doubt you for a second," he replied as he appreciated the excellent view he had in front of him. "But that doesn't change the fact that you're not getting any help from me." He chuckled. "That just wouldn't be fair."

"Cut the crap, John." Her tone took on a more aggressive edge even as she sat down on his lap. "You don't give a damn about fair play. Aren't you the same man who once said, 'it's not cheating if you don't get caught?' And you always used every advantage you had when you were champion."

As Michelle moved her mouth closer to his, the Texan reached a hand up and entwined his fingers into her blonde tresses…and then firmly pulled her head back before she could attempt to kiss him. His grin was notably absent.

"Don't you ever compare yourself to me," he warned. "And get the hell off my lap before I drop your ass on the floor."

Quickly getting to her feet, Michelle glared angrily at JBL…only for him to rise from his chair and look down at her with a stern expression.

"Let's get some facts straight, missy," he said. "I did take every advantage when I held the title. Every advantage…in the ring. And you know why? Because I earned the right to."

"You pulled dirty tricks outside the ring too," she protested. "You jumped guys in the locker room!"

"And if they didn't see it coming, that was their fault," he shot back. "I was never quiet about saying I'd beat down anyone who was trying to take the belt from me. One thing nobody could ever accuse me of was keeping my mouth shut."

Michelle scoffed at his logic. "You're a hypocrite!"

"Like hell I am." He advanced towards her, causing Michelle to backpedal. He soon had her cornered against the wall. He made no move to accost her physically however. Instead…he delivered a pointed lecture.

"I did bend the rules," he said. "And I stacked the deck in my favor whenever I could…and yeah, I beat the tar out of more than a few guys in the locker room. I did that because I was entitled to. An entitlement I earned after thirteen years of fighting my way up the ladder one rung at a time."

The anger on his face faded somewhat as a gleam of pride shone in his eyes. "I started my career at the bottom of the totem pole. Sleeping in a pickup truck, driving from one Podunk town to another to get beat up by guys who knew all the dirty tricks I hadn't learned yet. And I did all that for the princely sum of forty or fifty bucks a night...assuming the local promoter didn't try to skip out before the show was over and leave the wrestlers unpaid."

"I don't see what that has to do--" Michelle began only to be cut off abruptly.

"All you had to do was answer a magazine ad alongside some lingerie models, strippers and girls who had the day off from working at Hooter's…and you got yourself signed to a six figure contract. You had your career handed to you, woman. I busted my ass for mine. So that's why, I repeat…do NOT compare yourself to me."

Michelle took a few deep breaths and let her emotions get under control. She slipped back into a charming façade.

"But John, you can't blame me for the circumstances," she said with a note of false contrition. "Yes, I just answered an ad, but what was I supposed to do when they offered me the contract? Turn it down? That would have been foolish."

She took hold of his hand and lifted it up to brush against her cheek. She nuzzled against his palm before turning slightly to kiss it slowly.

"I did have it easy compared to you," she said. "And no, there's really no comparison. But how could there be? You are, after all, a WRESTLING GOD."

JBL smiled at her use of his self-professed title. He knew she was trying to play him still…but he admired her persistence.

"I'll hand it to you," he said. "You came here with an agenda and you took your best shot. I can respect that. But it's time for you to go."

She moved his hand down to her chest. "I could go," she whispered. "Or you could help me out of this dress."

His smile grew wider as he felt her breast through the silky fabric.

"Darlin', I'll admit you look like you would be a fine, fine ride," he said. "But I'm a very wealthy man…and I prefer to buy new over used."

Her expression filled with outrage.

"Besides," he continued. "I never pay for what I can get for free."

She pushed his hand away and cursed at him before tuning on her heel and storming out.

JBL let out a laugh as she slammed the door behind her. Yes, he certainly would have enjoyed some of the fun she was offering, but the look on her face when he'd rejected her had been a nice reward as well.

"God, I love being me," he commented.

******'******

Victoria was in the office area at the Burke Arena along with Cornette, Lance, Ivory and the FWF's backstage interviewer Christy Hemme. Cornette was laying out some specifics about how the first night's tapings would be televised.

It was not feasible to broadcast the show live, especially not the tournament, but this was actually a good thing for the quality of the wrestling itself. There were going to be no artificially imposed time limits for the matches. Each woman would have ample time to showcase their talents in the ring. SO much so that it was really impossible to say how many editions of the FWFs programming would be made up of the tournament alone.

"This is going to be just like the old days," Cornette said excitedly. "The people in the arena for our first taping are going to get more than their money's worth. We might go six hours, maybe more, before we get to the final match for the title."

"Wow," Christy commented. "I don't think I've ever been at a show that's gone that long. Not even when WWE would tape a super show to keep on schedule before an overseas tour."

"This is going to a new experience for the entire roster," Lance said in a thoughtful tone. "It's going to take some adjustment."

"The whole industry is going to have to adjust," Cornette laughed. "Because if we're a hit, and damn it if I don't think we will be…I swear I can feel it." He rubbed his hands together, like a mad scientist ready to activate his latest creation. "This entire generation of wrestling fans is going to see the sport like they never have before. And Victoria, you're going to have more ring time in our first couple of months worth of shows than you've had in your entire career up to now."

Victoria studied her friend as he began pontificating on the virtues of longer matches and how they benefitted the wrestlers and the audience both. Though he was always an excitable and passionate individual, he seemed especially enthused about the FWF now that their first event was just around the corner.

It was strange when she thought about how different Cornette's background was from most everyone else in the promotion. He was barely a decade older than Victoria, but the wrestling business had been an entirely different world back when he'd entered it. Granted, he'd broke in at the tender age of fourteen, so he had far more experience than his age suggested…but it was still startling to think how much things had changed.

Victoria had only known the business as it existed after the rise and dominance of WWE. Many great advances in technology and marketing had done some remarkable things for professional wrestling…but so much more had been lost. Cornette knew how to bring some of that old glory back, new ideas mixing with old, to help recapture the honor and pride of the profession.

"It's a good thing we've got a first rate training facility set up," Ivory chimed in. "Because with so much more ring time, a lot of the girls might have to work on their conditioning. We've got some great athletes…but they're used to sprints, not marathons."

Lance nodded. "About the training, I've had a bit of a concern. As a co-owner of the company, naturally I have to remain impartial to all the wrestlers. But some need more training than others…and some are more inclined to seek extra help than others. So I'm not going to end up working the same amount of time with everyone on the roster."

Victoria laughed. "Okay, the fact that you're even worried about that shows you are not someone we have to be concerned about."

Ivory agreed. "Relax Lance, everyone knows you're mister integrity."

Having known him longer than anyone else, Cornette just gave Lance a look that seemed to say 'are you kidding me?'

"Alright," Lance conceded. "I just wanted to avoid the appearance of any sort of bias."

Talk then turned to the work the women would need to do outside of the ring...backstage interviews and the like. This was another aspect that all the wrestlers were going to have much more opportunity at, for in WWE and TNA, the women rarely were afforded anywhere near the amount of microphone time that their male counterparts enjoyed. Fortunately, with the shows being taped, the women would have the chance to do multiple takes if necessary. Christy would do most of these interviews on a different day than the actual wrestling matches and they could then be edited into the television broadcast.

It was also advantageous that Cornette, JBL and Lance would be available to give pointers to the women at the interview tapings. JBL was a master on the microphone, while Cornette was widely regarded as one of the best talkers in the history of the business. Lance lacked the over the top personality of the other two men but he knew how to effectively communicate with a 'less is more' approach. Most importantly, all three understood how to properly 'cut a promo' – or make statements that would increase interest in upcoming matches. It was an art form unto itself, and something that boxing legend Muhammad Ali had actually borrowed from professional wrestling decades earlier.

And so, all the details were in place as the time for the FWF's inaugural event drew nigh.

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes:_**_ Please review. Feedback is what I live for. _

_JBL was flat broke and living in his pickup truck when he started his wrestling career. Becoming a main event headliner was an impressive feat...becoming a millionaire in the stock market BEFORE he'd achieved that level of success in wrestling was absolutely astounding. _

_Jim Cornette did break into the business at age fourteen, and has gone on to do every conceivable job in almost every major wrestling organization that has existed since that time. _

_If I seemed to make a big deal about longer matches being important, it's likely because I'm tired of the lack of any actual wrestling on the weekly television shows. It seems that both WWE and TNA have plenty of time for backstage segments, bad comedy skits, and utterly pointless celebrity guests...but precious little time for actual in-ring performances. Two hour programs are sometimes featuring less than thirty minutes of wrestling. In the old days, when wrestling profits were dependant on ticket sales and not Pay-Per-View orders, longer matches were standard and live events could sometimes be daylong affairs with several INDIVIDUAL MATCHES on the card that could EACH run an hour or more. _

_Muhammad Ali has long credited pro wrestling as the inspiration for his legendary verbal stylings._

_Next chapter...the matches begin! Who will be the winners and losers? _


	6. Chapter 6

In professional wrestling, one can never underestimate the value of an excited crowd. Put on the greatest match in the world before an uninterested audience and the action somehow seems lackluster. Put on a fair match before an audience that is emotionally invested in the combatants…it will seem like a mat classic.

Well aware of this fact, the FWF's management had taken no chances. They'd gone online and investigated websites and message boards devoted to women's wrestling. Announcements had been made on how fans could get complimentary passes for the company's first show. As a result, fans had travelled from around the country, and in some cases from around the world, to pack the Burke Arena.

The crowd wasn't hot…it was volcanic.

Backstage, as focused as all the women were on the tournament, they couldn't help but marvel at the electricity in the air. The atmosphere was that of a major pay-per-view event or super show. Some of the women had worked at such events in the past, but only as a minor component of the overall show. Here, all the focus was on them. The people weren't here to see Hulk Hogan, John Cena or any other top male star…they had come ONLY for women's wrestling. It was incredible.

It was daunting.

"We're going to make history," Melina said aloud to nobody in particular. She was only putting into words the thoughts going through all their minds.

"Well, you're not going to make anything if we all stand around here like a bunch of brain dead morons," Jim Cornette shouted, snapping all the women back into reality. His tone attempted to sound stern, but everyone could see the twinkle in his eye. "Y'all can feel awe and whatever AFTER the show is done…right now everyone needs to get ready to let that crowd out there know they've got a damn good reason to be excited. Are you ready?"

"YES!" the wrestlers shouted in unison.

******'******

Both Ivory and JBL received loud ovations as they appeared before the crowd and made their way to the ringside announcer's table. Then Cornette walked out to the center of the ring and addressed the raucous audience.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the first ever Female Wrestling Federation championship tournament!"

After waiting for the cheers to die down, he continued with a few more comments.

"Now, I just want to clear up any possible confusion before we start. I hope nobody came here tonight to see any 'divas' or 'knockouts' or any other word that some peon in an office somewhere thought would be a good marketing device! Because the only people you're going to see in action tonight are wrestlers…women wrestlers! They're athletes, they're beautiful, and they can kick your ass…so don't try labeling them with some cutesy names. This isn't 'sports entertainment'…this is PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING!"

Cornette's words whipped the crowd into an even greater frenzy, which had been his intent of course. But even he started to feel overwhelmed by the atmosphere. His status as a legendary motor mouth threatened to fail him for a moment…he had rarely been this close to feeling speechless.

"Well, I'm not going to waste any more time," he finally said. "I think most of you would rather see some gorgeous ladies in this ring instead of me…and for any of you that feel differently, I'm not sure whether to be flattered or afraid…but in any case, let's see some wrestling!"

******'******

After Cornette left the ring, JBL and Ivory started their commentary duties…explaining the rules of the tournament to the crowd. Then, it was time for the first match. Backstage, all the women waited to hear who'd be called.

"TAYLOR WILDE!"

The former TNA champion, let out the breath she'd been holding and made her way to the ring as her theme music played. Always a fan favorite, the crowd showered her with cheers. And since she was the first competitor to make an appearance that night, the crowd's ovation continued for a long time…which increased the wait for the rest of the women backstage.

"Oh come on," Layla muttered to herself. "I can't take this suspense."

She was overheard by another wrestler who turned to face her. Mickie James. Both women had been so focused on who would be called to the ring, they hadn't noticed that they'd ended up in such close proximity.

"Um…hi," Layla said awkwardly as Mickie gave her a hostile glare.

After a pause, the veteran wrestler responded in an uncharacteristically threatening tone. "I hope neither you or I are called for this match," she said. "Because I would so love to have you alone in the ring."

Layla gulped, though she could understand Mickie's attitude. It hadn't been that long since Michelle McCool and Mickie had been engaged in an intense feud over the WWE Women's Championship. And during that time, things had gotten very ugly. Trash talk and insults were common enough in wrestling…but Michelle had pushed the envelope with Mickie, causing her rival much more emotional hurt than was usual.

And Layla, as Michelle's lackey, had been complicit in all the hurtful slander.

"Mickie, I know I've done some really awful things to you…it was all Michelle's idea, but that's not any excuse," the British beauty said.

"No, it's not."

"Well, I'm done with Michelle. I'm not involved with any of her schemes anymore."

"Yeah, I've heard some talk to that effect," Mickie replied. "Sounds to me like some new plot you two are hatching."

"No really, it's true I swear," Layla went on. "And I'm sorry about anything I've done to you in the past. It was wrong."

Mickie seemed not in the least impressed by the apology, but before she could say anything else the next name was called.

"MICKIE JAMES!"

"Looks like you lucked out," she told Layla. "I don't get you in the ring…this time."

With that, she headed to the ring.

******'******

When the wheel was spun, the match type for Mickie and Taylor was "Standard." Despite the lack of special stipulations, the audience couldn't have asked for a better opening bout.

Both women were excellent wrestlers who relied on speed and quickness. Their offensive moves were hard hitting and they were both accustomed to fast paced matches.

Furthermore, never having faced each other before and seeing as how this was just the first round of the tournament…both decided on a similar strategy: throw caution to the wind and come out aggressively. Each hoped that the element of surprise would ensure a quick win.

Naturally, the plan backfired, much to the crowd's delight. Both women started at full speed and the pace of the match never slowed. For every maneuver Taylor attempted Mickie had a counter, and vice versa. After only three minutes, the audience began chanting.

"THIS IS AWESOME! LET'S GO MICKIE! THIS IS AWESOME! TAYLOR WILDE!"

The chant continued for the rest of the match…until the twelve minute mark when Taylor tried to go behind Mickie to attempt a German suplex. Mickie spun out of her grasp and followed through with the spin so that it ended with a reverse roundhouse kick. It struck her blonde opponent perfectly and Taylor dropped to the canvas. Mickie covered her for a three count and the victory.

The crowd cheered, even more so when Mickie helped her slightly stunned foe back to her feet and they shook hands. It was a fitting display of sportsmanship to end a good, clean match.

******'******

The next match was not so clean.

The wrestlers were Melissa Anderson and Michelle McCool. Again, these were two women who'd never faced one another before, but both were familiar with the other's reputation.

And though she didn't show it, having her cocky expression firmly in place, Michelle was a bit concerned about facing Anderson. Melissa was strong, tough, highly skilled and not adverse to fighting dirty. Her nickname "The Future Legend" seemed more prophetic than arrogant. Most everyone believed that Melissa was destined for great things.

But while Michelle tried to think of the best way to deal with such an opponent, the wheel was spun and the match type was determined…"Hardcore."

_Well, that simplifies things_, Michelle thought as she reached down to grab the hidden pair of brass knuckles that she'd concealed within her boot. Everything was legal in a hardcore match…there'd be no need for subtlety.

Melissa never saw the weapon until a spilt second before McCool's first swing connected. It was a testament to Anderson's toughness that she only dropped to one knee.

But the second swing knocked the stunned woman out cold.

The audience booed loudly as Michelle covered her victim for a three count. Official match time: 58 seconds.

******'******

The crowd's disdain for Michelle and her tactics was quickly forgotten when the next competitors were announced. The ever popular Melina soaked up the cheers as she made her way to the ring while her opponent Maryse was booed roundly. Their match ended up being a submission match…which put Maryse at a disadvantage. The haughty French-Canadian didn't use submission maneuvers regularly. Melina wasn't considered a submission specialist herself…but she did know how to execute one particularly well…her patented _California Dream_.

The fight was all but over once Melina got Maryse on the mat and locked on the hold. The blonde struggled for a while but finally tapped out, giving the fiery Latina a victory after match duration of just over four minutes.

******'******

Beth Phoenix faced Angelina Love in the next contest, squaring off in a cage match. Though Angelina was a fine wrestler, she was unprepared for Beth's raw power. Phoenix tossed Love nearly half the length of the ring as soon as she got her hands on her. She then threw Angelina into the side of the cage, hooked her arms in a painful double chickenwing hold and then ended the match quickly with her much feared finishing maneuver, the _Glam Slam_. The whole affair took three and a half minutes.

******'******

After three short matches, the next bout proved to be a surprising change of pace. Surprising because most of the audience expected the formidable Roxxi to make short work of Jillian Hall. The thinking behind this was understandable. Roxxi's toughness and durability were the stuff of legend, so much so that it made many people overlook just how technically skilled she was. Jillian on the other hand was often dismissed as a bleached blonde bimbo. Indeed, her spot in the tournament was only due to a very short title reign that was regarded as a fluke…almost a joke.

But Jillian was tired of being a joke. Yes, maybe she wasn't always the swiftest on the uptake…she'd never claimed to be a genius. And yes, she hadn't done herself any favors when she'd tried to become a singer as well as a pro wrestler. But did she deserve to be ridiculed so much for following her dreams? Ever since she'd been a child, there were only two things she'd wanted to be: a professional wrestler and a pop star.

Okay…so she couldn't sing. All the positive thinking in the world couldn't change that…she was willing to face that fact. But damn it, she could wrestle. She was going to make the world see that. She was going to be taken seriously for once.

So when the match type was announced as "Bare Essentials" and many in the audience let out catcalls, Jillian began to get angry. Then one rowdy fan in the front row shouted out "You might as well strip now, blondie!"

That was when Jillian Hall snapped.

She launched herself at Roxxi the instant the bell rang, surprising the taller woman. The audience, at first enjoying the furious action, began to grow quiet…the intensity of Jillian's rage taking them aback.

Roxxi never had the chance to mount any sort of defense. The shocking beatdown concluded when Jillian put her opponent in a full nelson and kept the hold locked while she slammed her face first into the mat. She turned her over for a three count in short order.

Her anger still not abated, Jillian didn't wait for Roxxi to get up and remove an article of clothing, as "Bare Essentials" rules dictated. Instead she ripped Roxxi's top off with one violent yank, leaving her with just a sports bra on her upper body. Jillian then stomped over to the side of the ring and threw the ripped garment at a fan…the same one who'd shouted out earlier. As she did so, she screamed out a message.

"DON'T CALL ME BLONDIE!"

Jillian had taken the first fall of the 2 out of 3 falls match in a convincing fashion. Indeed, the beating she'd dished out had been so savage that it would have been logical to expect her to pick up the next fall with relative ease.

But when Jillian turned back around to face her opponent for round two, Roxxi was back on her feet…her eyes clear, not dazed.

The woman was nothing if not resilient.

"You got my attention," she said to Jillian. "Just so you know…that's not a good thing!"

Round two lasted a lot longer than round one.

Embarrassed at being beaten so handily in the first fall, Roxxi went on the offense at once. Jillian proved a more than capable defensive wrestler, but she had to absorb a lot of punishment before Roxxi's attacks slowed enough for any attempted reversals.

The match turned into a back and forth affair for a while. There were a number of solid technical moves executed by both women…but for the most part they were just trading blows. Jillian impressed many in the crowd by being able to stand up and throw bombs with Roxxi for as long as she did, but eventually the taller, stronger woman took control.

Jillian was almost out on her feet when Roxxi applied the hammerlock that was the first part of her finishing maneuver. That was a good thing in a way, for if Jillian had been more aware at that moment, she probably would have been outraged to lose the fall to that particular move. After all, Roxxi had named it…the _Barbie Crusher_.

Now tied at one fall apiece, Jillian was similarly left with only a sports bra on her upper body. As the third round began, neither tried to repeat their aggressive tactics from earlier in the match. Instead they circled one another warily, each looking for an opening and each trying to ignore the effects of the punishment they'd already taken.

The final round saw less fisticuffs and more pure wrestling. The audience actually engaged in some respectful, almost genteel, applause at times when the women countered and reversed some technical holds. The fact that both could successfully shift into scientific grappling after being so violently knocked around spoke volumes about just how versatile they were.

In the end, it came down to a simple mistake. Roxxi whipped Jillian into the ropes to set her up for a back drop. Jillian held onto the ropes to stop from rebounding. Roxxi adjusted tactics to charge her foe, but Jillian dropped to the mat so that Roxxi flew through the ropes and landed hard outside the ring. By this point, Jillian was too tired to think about following her to press any attack so she stayed in the ring to catch her breath. Likewise, Roxxi was exhausted as well…and the fall to the floor had knocked the wind out of her. She was unable to get back into the ring before the referee reached a ten count…and Jillian was awarded the final fall and the match after a grand total of thirty seven minutes.

It was the longest single match either had ever worked in their careers.

But still, though victory had been decided, there was still the last part of the stipulation to be carried out. Roxxi slowly made her way back into the ring and, without any noticeable embarrassment, took off her pants so that she was left in nothing but her underwear. There were no catcalls or jeers. This match had gone far beyond any gimmicky titillation.

Roxxi looked over at her opponent and, to Jillian's surprise, gave her a weary half-smile.

"You are one tough bitch," she said.

Jillian responded with a small smile herself. "You should talk."

Roxxi extended a hand, which Jillian accepted, as the audience gave both a rousing ovation.

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes:_**_ Next chapter will be the final three matches of the tournament's first round...and then on to round two. I hope you're enjoying things so far. _

_Cornette's address to the crowd was inspired by my absolute hatred for the WWE policy of never using the words 'wrestler' or 'wrestling'. Watch any WWE program or read any of their official written material. Their athletes are 'sports entertainers', 'WWE superstars', or (in the women's case) 'WWE divas'. Some say this is simply because the company can trademark those terms...which they cannot do with the word 'wrestler'. And I might buy that explanation, if it weren't for the fact that in every interview he's ever given for well over a decade now, Vince McMahon is always quick to point out the he's in the 'sports entertainment' business NOT the 'professional rasslin' business (which he always pronounces exactly that way...using a disdainful tone). It makes me want to punch him in the face. Is he a visionary businessman? Yes...but he's also the world's biggest tool. _

_Jillian and Roxxi ended up with the longest match this chapter because I thought they both deserved some glory...especially Jillian who is sadly under-appreciated. She's a talented worker who's been with WWE for some time now, but she's seldom used in matches these days and mostly appears in comedy skits with her 'bad singing' gimmick. Part of the problem is that, unlike many of the people WWE puts in comedy skits, Jillian is actually GOOD at comedy. But this has led to her being viewed as nothing but comic relief. _

_Anyway, so far in the story we have Mickie, Michelle, Melina, Beth and Jillian advancing in the tournament. Who will join them and who do you think will be the first FWF World Champion? And if anyone has any suggestions for things they'd like to see...let me know. Maybe some suggestions will make it into the story. _


	7. Chapter 7

There was a short intermission after Jillian and Roxxi's match. At the announcer's table, Ivory and JBL took advantage of the break and began to analyze how their own performance had gone so far. Any new announcing team needs an adjustment period to find the best way to work together as a unit, but so far both veterans were pleased with how the show was going.

In fact, the two meshed very well on-air. Ivory had done some color commentary in the past for WWE, but if anything her work there had suffered from being too talkative. She was much better suited for the play-by-play role…and JBL was the perfect partner to work with her fast-paced, enthusiastic delivery. He found he could interject his always opinionated observations whenever he felt like it, for Ivory (whether she agreed or disagreed) would instantly have a follow up comment to his point and then go right back to describing the action without breaking stride.

With things going so well in that regard, the two only needed a few moments to talk over possible improvements they could make in their announcing. They spent the majority of the break discussing the action they'd seen so far.

"That last match was fantastic," Ivory said. "But how much gas do you think Jillian is going to have left for the rest of the tournament?"

"Yeah, she's going to have a hard time recovering from that fight," JBL replied. "But it'll all depend on how long the rest of this round goes."

******'******

When the break was over, the next wrestler called out was Layla, who walked to the ring amidst a loud chorus of boos. She could understand this. As far as the fans knew, she was still Michelle McCool's trouble-making crony.

When she got into the ring she called for a microphone before her opponent was announced. She then gave a quick address to the hostile crowd.

"Look, I know I'm not popular with any of you," she said in a contrite voice. Not the sort of tone the fans were used to hearing from her. "And I don't expect to magically win you over. But I do want to make one thing clear. Just like the FWF is all about a new start for women's wrestling, this tournament, to me, is my chance for a new start. I'm done being Michelle McCool's lackey. I'm here to try and make it on my own…the right way."

The audience didn't give her much in the way of positive response, but they at least remained reasonably quiet to let her continue her statement.

"I'm not expecting you to suddenly love me. But whatever you feel about me, make sure it's about me…not McCool. From now on I just want to be judged on my own merits…good or bad."

There was still no great show of support from the crowd…but Layla had nothing else to say and handed the microphone back to the ringside attendant.

Then her opponent was called out.

"ODB!"

The crowd let out an appreciative roar and Layla did her best to look unintimidated, which in this case was not easy. She'd never faced or even met ODB before but knew a lot about her. The accomplished brawler (whose initials stood for "One Dirty Bitch", "One Dangerous Broad", or "One Drunk Bitch"…depending on who you asked) had made quite a name for herself in the WWE's old developmental system for a number of years.

But while ODB's toughness had won her many matches and her wild antics and bawdy humor had won her legions of fans, she'd never been called up to WWE's main roster. She hadn't fit the idea of what company officials thought a "diva" should be. As a result, ODB (who'd later gone on to national fame and championship gold in TNA) had never been shy about expressing her contempt and hostility for "pretty little divas" with less in-ring experience than herself. She took great pleasure in dishing out punishment to any opponent that fit such a description.

Layla suddenly found herself wishing that she hadn't broken into the business by winning the 2006 _Diva Search_.

ODB took a swig from the lucky whiskey flask she always carried to ringside and then chuckled as she looked over at her foe. Her predatory smile was not comforting.

"Lookee here," she said. "I get a present for my first match…an easy win."

Layla wished she could have come up with a witty comeback, but unable to think of anything other than "oh yeah?" she remained silent.

Then the match type was announced and many in the audience voiced their approval. But at the announcer's table Ivory raised an eyebrow.

"Another 'Bare Essentials' match?" she complained. "Seriously?"

JBL just shrugged. "It's all up to chance. That's the way the wheel spun."

"I suppose, but I wouldn't put it past you to try fixing the results," she replied in a half-joking manner. "In any case, I have a feeling that this match is not going to last as long as Jillian and Roxxi's."

"I agree." JBL turned his gaze over to Layla. "This could turn out to be a pretty one-sided affair."

The bell rang and the match started off as more of a chase than a fight. Layla used her quickness to stay out of ODB's reach, frustrating the larger woman. Unfortunately it frustrated the audience as well. Layla knew she appeared to be a coward in their eyes, so she decided to change tactics in the hopes of catching her foe by surprise.

Turning suddenly with a roundhouse kick, she caught ODB off guard. She took advantage of the moment and followed up with a series of well-executed kicks. Her legs had always been her best weapons.

But while ODB was rocked for a moment, the veteran was used to absorbing hard blows. She was certainly one who lived by the maxim "you have to be able to take it if you're going to dish it out." Layla went for one kick too many to ODB's side and the larger woman caught the former dancer's leg. From there it was an easy matter to scoop Layla up and then subject her to a hard fallaway slam.

"That's all for you, tiny," ODB laughed as she stood over her momentarily helpless opponent. She continued to mock her as she unexpectedly reached down and began to tear off the top of Layla's outfit.

"Wait, what is she doing?" Ivory said in surprise. "She hasn't pinned her yet!"

"It looks like ODB wasn't paying attention when the rules for the 'Bare Essentials' match were explained," JBL observed. "She'd better stop that or…nope, the ref is stepping in now."

Indeed, the in-ring official tried to ODB from stripping Layla of her top, which caused the brawler to react in frustration.

"Whaddya mean?" she complained. "It's part of the match!" She then completed the removal of Layla's upper garment which caused the referee to call for the bell. Layla was awarded the victory, not just for the first fall but for the entire match.

ODB did not react well. She protested angrily (and with quite colorful language) as the referee tried to repeatedly explain to what rules she'd violated.

"Jillian did the same to Roxxi in the last match!" ODB yelled.

"But she pinned Roxxi first," the ref answered, forced to yell to try and get a word in edgewise. "Don't you remember when the rules were explained in the group meeting?"

"Hell, I was hungover then!"

"The rules were brought up again before the show started today," the ref countered.

"I was hungover then too!" ODB responded. "I had to go down a couple of six packs to get over it so I'd be ready for action."

The ref rolled his eyes. "Regardless, the match is over. You're done."

Layla was just getting back to her feet as she overheard those words. She couldn't believe it. She'd won…on a technicality. What great luck!

Of course, she wasn't feeling so lucky a second later when ODB decked the referee and then turned her attention back towards her.

"Some freaking diva gets to the next round and I'm out of the tournament?! Here's what I think of that!"

Layla tried to escape but ODB scooped her up again and hit another fallaway slam. The angry brawler then repeated the actions that had cost her the match, ripping off the rest of Layla's outfit and leaving the stunned woman lying on the mat in just her underwear.

But the indignity was not done yet. ODB retrieved her lucky whisky flask from ringside and then took a swig as she stood over Layla. As the British beauty groggily tried to get up, ODB emptied the rest of the flask over the top of Layla's head…much to the delight of the audience. After all, ODB was a beloved, if eccentric, star.

Layla was nothing.

"Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about!" ODB jawed with the fans as she made her way back up the aisle and basked in their cheers. "You got a little two-dollar diva in the ring…but right here you got a real woman! BAM!"

With that exclamation, the wild wrestler ripped open her own top for a moment to flash some of the fans, eliciting even more cheers.

"I love you ODB!" one rowdy fellow called out.

"Buy me a twelve pack and we'll talk!" she responded.

Back at the announcer's table, Ivory simply shook her head. "Well, win or lose, that's ODB for you."

"I think this worked out for the best," JBL chimed in. "Sure ODB may be out of the tournament, but this way she'll have more time to devote to her day job."

"Day job?" Ivory asked.

"Yes, I understand she's the head instructor at the local Charm School," he answered, almost managing to keep a straight face.

But as the announcers laughed and the crowd kept cheering, Layla simply sat in the ring with a dejected look on her face. She was sore, she was humiliated, and she was drenched in cheap liquor.

If this was what it was like to win, what would a loss be like?

She feared that the rest of the tournament might actually be worse.

******'******

Backstage, Victoria was pacing. She still hadn't wrestled her first match yet and this was not something she was happy about. She knew the second round match-ups were going to be just as random as the first, so it was possible that whoever wrestled last in the first round might immediately have to wrestle their second match with little recovery time.

While she was confident of her abilities against anyone else on the roster, Victoria was trying to think strategically. She wanted to get through to the finals. Winning the championship…being the best…that was what she was here for. If only she'd been able to wrestle the first match tonight, like Mickie.

That thought caused Victoria's mind to wander for a moment and she chided herself. She had to focus on the tournament. Yet, Mickie was part of the tournament. How could she avoid thinking about her? The two women had been training side-by-side for the past few days. This new development had actually proven beneficial as each of them pushed the other to try just a little harder, to do just a little more.

The fact that they could do this and also enjoy one another's company was a pleasant surprise. Victoria had never imagined that she and Mickie could click so well, and this in spite of the fact that they were determined to win the tournament even if they had to go through each other.

Would their newfound chemistry survive such a clash?

But that was a consideration for another time. Right now, Victoria was anxious for her first match.

She nearly ran to the ring when her name was finally called.

******'******

Layla was heading towards the showers as the participants for the next match were called. She needed to get cleaned up and into a new outfit before the next round began. But her plan ran into a snag when she came face to face with a smug Michelle McCool in a backstage hallway.

"Congratulations on your win," the tall blonde said in a ridiculously insincere tone. "Such a great display of your abilities out there. And now…you've never looked better."

"Go to hell," Layla muttered as she tried to sidestep the former champion. Michelle let her pass but kept laughing.

"I am so glad you got through this round," she continued. "Gives me a shot at getting you for round two. I'm going to enjoy that."

Layla stopped and fumed for a moment before turning back and answering.

"I'll enjoy that too." Her eyes were flashing with anger. "Believe me you have no idea how much I'll enjoy that!"

"Ooh, isn't that cute." McCool's expression was condescending at first but then turned serious. "Get real. You wouldn't have a chance to beat me Layla. A match with you is a slam dunk for me."

"Yeah, it is" the shorter woman replied in a defiant tone which seemed in conflict with the words she was speaking. "I'll even go further…if you and I face each other I will GUARANTEE you a win!"

"Well…yeah," Michelle said, somewhat confused.

"And do you know why you'll win? Because I'm going to use everything you taught me if I get in the ring with you. Now, since the only thing you taught me was how to take cheap shots, cheat and kick people when they're down, that doesn't leave me with a lot of options." She shot her former mentor an evil grin. "It'll be a short match Michelle because I'll get disqualified right away. Maybe from wrapping a steel chair around your skull, maybe from choking you out with some cord I'll have hidden in my boot…there are lots of possibilities. It'll be a short match…but that won't be the end of it. Because it's going to take a long time and a lot of people to drag me off once I get my hands on you!"

The look of surprise on Michelle's face was gratifying to Layla. It felt good to stand up to the arrogant witch. Layla kept this good feeling as she turned her back on Michelle and tried to continue to the showers…which was a mistake that could have cost her dearly. For McCool's shock was quickly replaced by rage and she took out her brass knuckles to deliver a devastating blow from behind.

Fortunately, an unexpected savior appeared at the last moment.

"Look out!" Mickie James' warning came just in time for Layla to dodge Michelle's attack. A moment later, Layla found herself standing shoulder to shoulder with Mickie as they both faced Michelle.

"What? You two are friends now?" Michelle spat. "That's rich!"

"Layla's not my favorite person," Mickie responded. "But we all know you're the real trouble maker!"

"I'll show you trouble," Michelle threatened as she pulled back her arm to take a swing at Mickie…but she found her arm held fast. She whirled around to unleash her anger, and her brass knuckles, on whoever had grabbed her…but quickly stopped short and took a step back.

Beth Phoenix had that effect on people.

"Up to your usual tricks?" Beth asked in a low, dangerous tone.

Michelle didn't bother to answer, she just nervously glanced around. With Layla, Mickie and Beth all but surrounding her, this was not a good place to be. She turned to the one direction that no enemies were blocking her and bid a hasty retreat.

Layla was happy to see McCool run off...but felt a little nervous with the other two women beside her. Mickie may have just saved her, but she'd also threatened her earlier due to past insults.

And Beth? She had as many reasons to hate Layla as Mickie did. In fact, Beth had at one time been a fiercely intense rival of Mickie's until she'd become so disgusted at Michelle and Layla's treatment of the woman that she'd actually come to her old foe's aid. This had caused Michelle to turn her attention to Phoenix, and she and Layla had tried similar despicable tactics against Beth. But whereas Michelle's cruelty had managed to temporarily demoralize Mickie, it had only served to enrage Beth.

An enraged Beth Phoenix was a terrifying thing to behold.

"What's all this about?" Beth asked.

Mickie filled her in about the details of what she'd overheard and seen.

"So it looks like Layla really is done with Michelle," she concluded.

"I am," the British wrestler said. "And I want to apologize--"

"Did I give you permission to speak?" Beth snapped.

Layla gulped once and stayed silent. The blonde bodybuilder glared at her a moment before turning back to Mickie.

"You sure this isn't some sort of scam they're pulling?" she asked her former rival.

"No, I believe it," Mickie responded. "Michelle's not that good an actress."

The two former champions both turned to Layla.

"If I face you in the tournament, I'm still going to make short work of you," Mickie said. "But I do see that you are telling the truth."

"I just want a chance to make a new start," Layla said meekly. "And put the past behind me."

Mickie shrugged. "Fine by me."

Layla then turned to Beth. She didn't fail to notice the slight scowl on Phoenix's face.

"If I get you in the ring, I won't cripple you," the blonde grumbled. "That's about as generous as I can be under the circumstances."

Realizing that this was the biggest concession she was going to get, Layla nodded. "Um…thank you?"

The expression on Layla's face and her tone of voice must have been amusing to Phoenix, for her scowl disappeared. "Alright," she chuckled. "Go hit the showers. You smell like a brewery."

A grateful Layla was quick to take her advice.

******'******

As the backstage drama resolved itself, Victoria was in the ring and watching her opponent come down the aisle. Any of the remaining competitors would have been a tough opponent, but Victoria would have preferred any of the others over Natalya.

Natalya was business-like as she got into the ring, but did give Victoria a friendly greeting.

"Hey Vee."

"Hey Nattie," Victoria responded. She wondered if Natalya was having similar concerns about facing her. Good friendships, ones that endured over time, were hard to maintain in wrestling. And just as Victoria was concerned about how she'd react if she faced Mickie, the idea of facing Natalya was troubling.

But that wasn't a worry she could allow herself now. She had to push aside the fact that Natalya was a friend and focus on the fact that the woman was an absolute wrestling machine. The only third generation female wrestler in the business…the last graduate of the fabled Hart Dungeon (and one of only two women in history to have survived that legendary institution)…Nattie's resume was unparalleled. She'd inherited her father's strength and her uncle Bret's technical expertise. Beating her was going to take a lot of effort.

_But this is only the first round,_ Victoria thought. _I can't exhaust myself in this match and have nothing left for the next. But there's no way to get an 'easy' victory over Nattie._

As she pondered this problem, the wheel was spun to determine the type of match they'd have. Suddenly, Victoria had another worry spring up in her mind.

_Oh crap! What if it's a Hair Match? Would Nattie ever forgive me for beating her then? _

Thankfully, that was a question that wouldn't have to be answered. The wheel landed on "Slime Time." While Victoria had no desire to dump a bucket of slime on her friend…it was certainly preferable to shaving her head. But there was still the problem of taking Natalya down without exhausting herself.

The bell rang and they circled one another searching for any signs of weakness. It was then that a plan formed in the older woman's mind. She rushed forward and locked up with Natalya. As two of the strongest women on the roster they could have jockeyed for position for a considerable time…but Victoria deliberately held back. Natalya took advantage and whipped her towards the corner turnbuckle, which was exactly what Victoria had hoped she would do.

She braced herself for the impact but then let out a loud yell of pain when she hit. The crowd saw her bounce out of the corner and stumble back to almost the center of the ring before falling on the mat at Natalya's feet.

Eager to press any advantage that presented itself, Natalya quickly went to grab her friend's legs in hopes of putting her in the _Sharpshooter, _the famous submission hold that her uncle had used to win a multitude of championships. But as the young woman bent forward, Victoria quickly reached up to wrap her arm behind Nattie's head and pull her downward with as much speed and force as she could muster…she knew the element of surprise was critical if this maneuver was going to work.

But work it did. Victoria rolled Natalya up in a small package pinning maneuver and managed to hold it just long enough for the ref to count three.

"Whoa! And it's over!" Ivory announced. "Victoria gets the victory!"

"That was some smart thinking," JBL added. "Playing possum right at the start, and Natalya fell for it!"

Back in the ring, Victoria looked down at her shocked friend. Nattie was still in partial disbelief that the match was over. Victoria cleared her throat and reached out a hand to help her up.

"No hard feelings?" she said in a hopeful voice.

"You suckered me," the younger woman said angrily. But it soon became apparent that the anger was directed inwardly. "You suckered me and I totally fell for it! Damn it! I'm an idiot!"

"Hey don't be so hard on yourself," Victoria said in an encouraging tone. "I've had the same thing happen to me once or twice."

"Well, I guess if I had to lose…I'm glad it was to you," Nattie finally said with a smile.

Victoria felt a sense of relief wash over her and the two women exchanged a friendly hug, to the crowd's approval. But the referee cut their heartwarming moment short by reminding them of the match's stipulation.

"Oh, do we have to do this?" Victoria asked. "C'mon…the match is over."

As the official pointed out that it was a requirement of the rules, Natalya just sighed.

"It's okay," she told Victoria before actually cracking a smile. "And I deserve it for falling for your cheap trick."

Both woman got out of the ring and walked over to where a small, empty kiddie pool had been placed. Natalya stepped inside and the referee handed Victoria a bucket filled with a thick green liquid.

"What is this stuff anyway?" Victoria asked.

"Pancake batter and green dye," the ref answered. "Safe and non-toxic."

"I should hope so," Natalya said loudly.

The audience waited in anticipation as Natalya closed her eyes and Victoria, after some hesitation, reluctantly poured the slime over her friend's head. The fans laughed, but in a good-natured way, as Natalya shrieked.

"This stuff is freezing!" she complained as she wiped it out of her eyes and brushed back her slime-coated hair.

"I'm sorry," Victoria said, trying to stifle a laugh.

"What? This is funny to you?" Nat replied.

The older woman shrugged. "It's just that…green isn't your color."

"Oh, you're hilarious. But to show you there's no hard feelings…"

"What? Nattie! NO!"

But despite her cries, Victoria was unable to escape when her friend swiftly reached out and grabbed her, pulling her into the kiddie pool with her and giving her a very tight bear hug. Victoria soon had almost as much slime on her as Natalya, thanks to the way Nattie nuzzled her slime covered head into the taller woman's face.

The crowd continued to laugh even as they applauded both women.

******'******

"We've seen some incredible action so far," Ivory commented from the announcer's table. "And we've still got one match to go before we move on to round two."

"Yes," JBL added. "And by process of elimination we know who's going to be squaring off in the next match."

"I have to say I'm really looking forward to this match," Ivory continued.

"It'll be a regular international incident," JBL replied. "We've got a Korean-Canadian taking on a Japanese-Mexican. Gail Kim versus Hamada."

Already standing in the ring, Gail was her usual cool and collected self as she waited for her opponent to make her entrance. Like many of the other former champions in the tournament, she was considered the best of the best. A woman that other wrestlers looked upon with more than a little awe. One of the true elite of women's wrestling.

But her opponent? Her opponent was someone that even the elite women marveled at. Gail felt a few small butterflies flutter around her stomach. They were not there due to fear though, they were butterflies born of excitement. Gail WANTED to wrestle Hamada. She wanted to pit her skills against someone with such incredible ability.

And she also wanted to win. That went without saying.

Hamada received a warm welcome from the crowd as she made her way to the ring. Once she was inside, the wheel was spun and the results announced.

"Hoo-boy!" JBL exclaimed. "This one is going to be a barn-burner! I can't think of two women better suited to wrestle each other in a Ladder Match!"

******'******

Twenty minutes after the match had started, there was still no winner…though this wasn't due to lack of trying. Gail Kim and Hamada were both sprawled on the mat trying to catch their breath. The audience actually welcomed this, for most every fan in attendance needed a break from all the screaming, cheering and gasping in shock they'd been doing since the match had begun.

"How much more can these two give?" Ivory asked. "They've set up the ladder at least a dozen times already, but neither one has been able to get to the top yet."

"They've done more than just set it up," JBL added. "They've hit each other with it, thrown each other into it and knocked each other off it so much it's a wonder they're conscious at all."

Both women slowly got back to their feet and locked up once more. Hamada whipped Gail into the ropes but the smaller woman rebounded and leapt up to catch her foe in a flying head scissors…or so it first appeared.

"And Gail goes for a head sciss--NO!" Ivory called out when she saw what Gail was really doing. Instead of using her momentum to swing around and take Hamada to the mat, Gail grabbed her foe's arm and locked it an armbar even as she kept her legs snaked around Hamada's head and opposite shoulder.

"Submission hold," JBL said. "Some people call it the Christo, some the Octopus Stretch, but most people here know it as the _Flying Dragon_."

"And Gail is a master of this hold," Ivory went on. "But using it now is not going to win her the match. A Ladder Match has no pinfalls and no submissions. The only way to win is set up the ladder and climb up to reach the goal hanging high above the ring…without your opponent stopping you."

"Yes, but sometimes in a match you operate on instinct," JBL said. "Gail may have gone for this hold without thinking it through…although now if she keeps it on long enough, Hamada could pass out. Then it would be pretty easy to climb the ladder."

Indeed, that was the exact thought going through Gail's mind as Hamada dropped to her knees and then collapsed fully to the mat. Gail could tell that her foe would have tapped out at that moment if she'd had the option. She hoped that it wouldn't take too much longer for Hamada to lose consciousness.

That hope was in vain.

Hamada continued to struggle as she was trapped in the hold. The woman's endurance was incredible. A pang of guilt started to break through Gail's competitive instincts. She'd never had anyone locked in this hold for so long. The pain had to be unbearable.

But in spite of the pain, Hamada continued to try and fight. With a herculean effort she got her feet back underneath her and managed to stand up, carrying Gail on her back…the hold still locked on as tight as ever. She staggered to the ring ropes, but this was a vain effort. A Ladder Match had no referee…no automatic breaking of holds by reaching the ropes.

"This can't go on much longer," Ivory said, a note of concern in her voice. "It's inhuman to keep that hold on this long!"

But before JBL could add his own thoughts on that matter, Hamada took off runing to the opposite side of the ring. However just before she would have bounced off the ropes…she leapt.

"Good God almighty!" JBL yelled.

Ivory raised her hand to her mouth in an expression of shock even as every single fan in the arena let out a frightened gasp.

Hamada, with Gail still on her back, the hold still locked in, jumped over the top rope to crash to the floor below, somersaulting patially so that Gail landed on the bottom and took the brunt of the impact.

The hold was broken…but neither of them were moving.

"We…we should get someone out here," Ivory said in a quiet voice. "They need medical attention."

"I agree," JBL added in a serious tone. "If we had a ref out here he would have called for--wait! Hamada's getting up!"

Indeed, Hamada did pull herself up and lean against the ring apron for a long moment before rolling back into the ring. Slowly she managed to set up the ladder as the crowd began clapping and shouting encouragement.

"I'm still concerned about Gail," Ivory commented. "Wait…she's stirring. Oh, I'm glad to see her moving."

"Yes, but is she going to be able to stop Hamada from climbing to the top?" JBL asked.

That question was answered soon enough. Though Gail did manage to get back into the ring she was too groggy to reach Hamada and stop her from claiming the victory.

The crowd gave both women a standing ovation even as medical personnel came to the ring and made sure the wrestlers were both uninjured.

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes:_** _Please review. I'd like to thank all the people who've read and reviewed so far. Keep the feedback coming. _

_One point a number of you have raised is that they wish that this story were 'real'…at least in the sense that there were a real wrestling company who were letting the women have long matches and compelling storylines. Believe me, I do too. One thing that depresses me is how things have actually gotten worse for the women's divisions in WWE and TNA since I first started writing this story. _

_But instead of focusing on the negative, here's a positive development that I've enjoyed. I've always been fond of Layla (hence her inclusion in this story) so it's been great to see that after being poorly used for a number of years not only has Layla been getting good screen time as Michelle McCool's henchwomen…she's turned into a FANTASTIC wrestler. Seriously. Some people might not have caught on yet because Layla's role has been to get beat up by Mickie or Beth or whoever Michelle has been feuding with…but it's the WAY she's been getting beat up that matters. She is really taking some quality bumps and selling the effects of her opponent's moves. I daresay she's as good at selling moves as ANY woman in the business right now. This is actually making it easier for me to write future developments for her character in this story. _

_As to the rest of this chapter, it was great fun writing ODB (Jessica Kresa). Her character pretty much writes itself. _

_Even though this chapter was already longer than any of the previous ones, I wanted to imply that Gail and Hamada had an epic match. Hamada is just scary good in the ring. I'd love to see her wrestle Gail, or have a series of matches with Victoria, or see her in the ring against Nattie, Beth, Roxxi, or most any of the top women. Of course I'd kill to see Molly come out of retirement and have a match with her._


	8. Chapter 8

There was another slight break before the second round of the tournament was to begin. Most of the participating wrestlers took advantage of the time to try and relax and focus on the upcoming bouts. Victoria and Layla each were grateful that they had plenty of time to shower and change into new outfits that were not soaked with slime or alcohol, respectively.

But one wrestler was not able to enjoy any moment of calm. In fact, Hamada was quite agitated. She was aching from the effects of her match with Gail, but was more upset with the frustrating paramedics and the on-site doctor that the FWF employed. They wanted Hamada to drop out of the tournament, feeling that her last match had taken too much of a toll and that she was at risk for serious injury. Part of the problem was that she couldn't communicate smoothly with the medical personnel. While she understood English perfectly fine, she had difficulty speaking it. She tried answering questions in Spanish since one of the paramedics claimed to be able to translate…but his skill at the language was lacking. Worse, as Hamda's temper flared not only did she begin speaking more rapidly, she began to mix her Japanese and Spanish together as well, making it impossible for the paramedic to understand.

That was when Lance Storm stepped in, speaking to the woman in Japanese. She stopped her complaining and looked at him in surprise. Finally, she responded in slow, halting English.

"Your…accent…very bad."

"Yeah, sorry about that," he replied. "But it's the same for me with your language as it is for you with mine. I'm not great at speaking it, but I can translate for you…as long as you stick to just Japanese."

After being able to accurately relay questions and answers between the doctor and Hamada about what she was feeling, it was determined that she was most likely fine. But there was still enough concern that they wanted her taken in for some X-rays and observation. This was not a course of action she approved of.

"Want to wrestle!" she insisted.

"I know you do," Lance answered. "But think this through. You know how tough the competition is, and this is only the second round. You go back out and end up seriously injured…you won't be able to wrestle, or challenge for the title, for a long time."

Hamada frowned. She knew Lance was right but part of her still wanted to continue on in the tournament.

"I know how you feel." He gave her a sympathetic look. "But you need to listen to the doctor. Okay?"

She refused to respond.

"Hamada," he said and then softened his tone to address her by her first name. "Ayako, please."

"Si…hai…okay," she finally answered.

"I think that's the first tri-lingual agreement I've ever heard," he replied, trying to lighten the mood. "Don't worry. You'll have plenty more opportunities in the ring. But the most important thing is to take care of yourself."

Seeing how disappointed she was, Lance repeated that sentiment…in Japanese.

She smiled slightly. "Very bad accent. Very, very bad."

******'******

Jim Cornette came out and informed the audience of the situation and how Hamada would no longer be competing. With an odd number of women left in the tournament, it had been decided that one would get an automatic bye to round three. As this would be a huge advantage, the lucky wrestler was chosen at random.

The audience voiced its displeasure when the name was announced.

"And Michelle McCool gets the bye," Ivory commented even as the audience continued to boo.

"It figures," JBL chuckled. "Sometimes it seems like that girl could roll around in manure and still come out smelling like a rose."

"It is a lucky break for her," Ivory went on. "But still, anything could happen. Now let's see who's up for out next match."

******'******

It was Jillian Hall against Mickie James to kick off the second round. They ended up facing off in a standard match up with no special rules or stipulations.

Jillian fought hard, and did draw some inspiration from having a good portion of the audience cheering for her…which was something she had not experienced very often in her career. But in the end she was just too spent to withstand Mickie's high energy offense. At the eight minute mark, Mickie came off the ropes and hit her with a solid crossbody block. The fatigued Jillian took just a fraction of a second too long in raising her shoulder off the mat...granting Mickie the victory.

Though disappointed, Jillian did take some solace in the fact that Mickie didn't gloat, and that the audience did continue to show some affection towards her as she walked back to the locker room.

******'******

Melina was the next wrestler called to the ring, once again being cheered for enthusiastically. Her opponent didn't get quite as warm a reception.

"And it's Layla," JBL commented as the young woman made her entrance. "Sort of a surprise she's still in the running for the title."

"She's definitely the dark horse in the race," Ivory said. "But she's already defied expectations by surviving the first round. Let's see if lightning can strike twice."

Layla had a serious look on her face as she got into the ring. All things considered, she was pleased she'd been matched against Melina. While the Latina was without question a top-flight talent, at least she didn't have any particular old scores to settle with her. Melina had feuded with Michelle McCool in the past…but that was before Layla had associated with the unpopular former champion. No…this match would be strictly business.

But when the match type was determined, the result was another "Slime Time" bout. Layla saw the smile on Melina's face widen just a bit, and she saw the gleeful looks in the eyes of so many of the fans in the first few rows. They were all anticipating Layla's defeat.

It wasn't as if she could blame them. Melina was clearly the favorite in both odds of winning and popularity. But Layla had already been humiliated in her first match…she didn't want to walk back to the locker room amidst laughter again. She resolved to give it her all in this match. If she was going to lose, she wasn't going to make it easy for her opponent.

When the bell rang, she started aggressively and caught Melina with some quick kicks. She tried a time-honored tactic of concentrating her attention on one area…in this case, Melina's right leg. She managed to get some solid shots into the limb before Melina staged a comeback and took Layla to the mat.

The next five minutes were hard fought but somewhat surprising. At first Melina seemed to dominate Layla with a fair amount of ease, but the British wrestler managed to make comebacks each time she got in trouble. Not only was Layla's determination considerable, but Melina was also a tad guilty of underestimating her foe. Several times the fiery former champion assumed she had Layla down for the count…and each time the scrappy underdog would dig down and find a way to survive. She kicked out of several close pinfall attempts and, whenever she had a chance, threw some more hard kicks at Melina's leg.

"This is an action packed match," Ivory said at the announcer's table. "Layla's really showing us something."

"She's got spunk," JBL added. "But it's still anyone's guess how this is going to turn out."

Indeed, the next five minutes proved as action packed as the first. And then the next five. Melina was now taking her opponent much more seriously and began dominating the match more. Also, her temper began to flare, which translated into her blows hitting even harder.

But still Layla fought on. The crowd was hooked on the back and forth battle by this time and there were cheers directed to both women. Layla didn't have the chance to enjoy it however, for all her attention was directed in trying to keep her increasingly angry foe at bay.

The beginning of the end came after almost a half hour of action when both women were exhausted. Melina took a furious swing that Layla managed to duck under. Going behind the Latina, Layla went for a move she'd worked on quite a lot in her training. It was about as old-school a maneuver as could be found in professional wrestling, but the British beauty had faith in its effectiveness.

"Sleeper hold!" Ivory cried out. "Layla's got the sleeper on Melina!"

With her arms wrapped around Melina's neck and head, Layla jumped up to piggy back on the taller woman, so that all her weight would be applied to the move and hopefully make Melina lose consciousness. But Melina, though already feeling the effects, was not about to lie down and surrender. She started towards the ropes, but when she took her second step her right leg buckled.

"She's down!" Ivory shouted. "Melina's down in the middle of the ring!"

"Layla's still got the hold on," JBL observed. "We've got the makings of a major upset here!"

Too far to reach the ring ropes, Melina still struggled. Layla wrapped her legs around the woman in a body scissors to hinder her from trying to edge towards the ropes. The Latina thrashed furiously as she realized how desperate her situation had become, but this only exhausted her strength even more quickly.

"NO!" she screamed in equal parts defiance and disbelief. Her cries set off the audience, as they sensed the end was near. Their roar became louder as Melina's screams faded to a whimper and then fell silent. The referee lifted one of her arms once and let it drop. The audience shouted out "TWO!" when he did so again. And when Melina's arm was lifted and then fell limply a third time, the bell was rung.

"Layla wins!" Ivory announced. "Layla is on to round three!"

"And she did it by beating a former champion straight up in the middle of the ring," JBL chimed in. "I'd say its official, this gal's for real."

It was only after she'd released the hold and watched as the referee revived the groggy Melina that Layla realized that the audience was cheering her victory. She was dead tired and battered from the match, but in that one moment she forgot pain and exhaustion.

In that one moment, she felt she'd proved herself.

Of course, the aftermath still had to be taken care of. When Melina was fully awake again, the look of disbelief was still evident in her eyes. But that feeling slowly transformed into to a mixture of anger and embarrassment. She reluctantly made her way to the kiddie pool outside the ring, keeping her gaze downward to avoid making any eye contact with ringside fans.

But when Layla stood before her and was handed the bucket of slime, Melina raised her head to gaze directly at her. The seething anger there almost made Layla take a step back, but she managed to stand her ground.

"Uh…sorry," Layla said quietly.

Melina continued to glare before finally speaking. "Just do it!"

Though the intensity of her anger was frightening, Layla got the sense that the emotion was more at the fact of being defeated, and not personal venom towards her. Still, she felt a bit nervous when she poured the bucket over Melina's head. The audience cheering and laughing at the spectacle didn't put Layla's mind at ease.

But, aside from some hastily spoken words in Spanish (which Layla guessed were not the kinds of words one would use in mixed company) Melina didn't attempt any sort of retaliation even after she was covered in slime. She simply stalked back to the locker room. Layla made her own exit soon after, listening to the cheers as she went.

******'******

With only one match left in this round, it was obvious who the final participants would be. Backstage, Victoria double checked the straps on her protective knee brace. The brace had been a standard part of her ring attire since she'd blown out her knee in a match over seven years earlier. At the time she'd been given the choice of having surgery and being out of action for months, or trying to work through the pain.

_I think I can put off that surgery a little bit longer,_ she thought to herself in jest. Indeed, time and natural healing had worked just fine. Her speed and agility had never suffered and it had been years since she'd felt any unexpected pain in her knee. But she wore the brace every time she wrestled as a precaution.

And certainly, considering her next opponent, precautions were well-justified.

******'******

"Now this next match should be something," JBL said while waiting for the next wrestlers to make their entrances. "And you know…for two women that spent so much time in the same company, these ladies haven't squared off in years."

"That is odd," Ivory agreed. "But then again, maybe their old employers were nervous about them being in the ring together. After all, a lot of people still talk about one particular match Victoria had with Beth Phoenix back in 2006."

"We all remember that one. Beth picked up the victory then…and all it cost her was a broken jaw and six surgeries that kept her off the main roster for a year. Wonder if she still holds a grudge?"

While the two commentators pondered that question, Beth Phoenix made her way to the ring. In fact, she did not hold any hatred for Victoria over that infamous match. While others made much of the titanium plate and nine screws that had been used to repair her fractured mandible, only one fact about that match mattered to Beth…she had won.

Beth liked to win.

"So how do you see this match going?" Ivory asked her broadcast partner.

"Tough call. Victoria is used to being the strongest woman in the ring. That's not going to be the case here. But then again, Beth is used to being so much more physically powerful than her opponents…Victoria's not going to be someone she can dominate so easily. Will she be able to deal with that?"

Ivory nodded. "And certainly Victoria has more experience. I could see things going either way here."

Victoria entered to another warm reception from the crowd. She locked eyes with Beth once both of them were standing in the ring, but it was no use for them to try and intimidate one another. They were arguably the two most intimidating women in all the FWF.

The wheel was spun to determine their match type and the result was a submission match. While she wasn't particularly known for winning matches with such maneuvers, Victoria was pleased. With the way things had been going for women in wrestling for the past few years, Victoria had strongly considered trying her hand in the growing field of women's mixed martial arts. As a result, she'd trained extensively in submission holds of late and had grown quite adept at a number of armlocks.

But knowing such holds and applying them on arms like Beth's were two entirely different things. And while Beth wasn't a submission specialist either, she certainly had a number of moves that could end this type of match rather painfully.

When the bell rang, the women wasted no time in going right at each other. It wasn't pride that made Victoria stand toe to toe with Beth and trade blows…she'd hoped that the direct approach would catch Beth off guard since usually the woman's foes tried to avoid such confrontations. However, this tactic got Victoria nowhere.

Well, actually it got her backed up to the corner turnbuckle, where Beth proceeded to ram her shoulders into Victoria's midsection over and over.

But the raven-haired warrior was not beaten yet. When Beth paused in her attacks Victoria caught her with an elbow smash. She then pushed Beth against the ropes and quickly tied her up in a _Tarantula_ hold. Technically, this was a submission move but it was not one that could be used to win a match. Being tied up in the ropes was call for an automatic break and Victoria had to release the hold before the referee counted five or face disqualification.

Still, the maneuver had served to let Victoria take control of the match. She hoisted Beth on her shoulders in a fireman's carry and hit her _Spider's Web_ slam. Beth hadn't anticipated such a high impact non-submission move so early in the match…but Victoria figured she'd use the biggest guns in her arsenal early to soften Beth up for the endgame. Thus, as soon as Beth hit the mat from the _Spider's Web_, Victoria immediately scrambled to her feet and picked Beth up again, this time delivering her dreaded _Widow's Peak_ finisher.

With Phoenix stunned in the middle of the ring, Victoria grabbed her arm and quickly put her in a keylock hold. The pain of the hold cut through Beth's dazed state rather quickly and the powerful blonde tried to free herself. But for all the power in her arms there was no way to wrest her limb from Victoria's grasp.

Yet Beth refused to give up. She struggled to get off the mat even as her foe held on. She got to her feet but Victoria refused to go with her…keeping hold as she lay on the mat, preventing Beth from standing up straight.

"Beth's only hope is to try and drag Victoria close enough to reach the ropes," Ivory commented.

"She's strong enough to do it," JBL added. "If she can take the pain."

Beth however had other ideas than reaching the ropes. Though the pain was close to unbearable, and she knew what she was planning would make it worse, she wanted to prove that there was no other woman in the sport like her.

So, mustering all the considerable strength at her command…she stood up…with Victoria still hanging on to her arm.

Then, Beth Phoenix…raised her arm.

"OH DEAR GOD!" was the only thing Ivory could say. JBL didn't even try to add a comment.

It was a shocking development for Victoria, to be lifted entirely into the air by just one arm. She couldn't help but loosen the hold, though she still didn't release it entirely. But in any case, she was no longer in control…she was now being held aloft by one hand.

Or she was, until Beth slammed the woman back down to the mat as hard as she could.

With her foe stunned, Beth finally wrenched her arm free. She winced in pain as she shook it, grasping her shoulder with her undamaged arm at the same time. Though the pain would take some time to fade entirely, the blonde knew she couldn't afford to wait. As Victoria got back to her feet, Beth ran behind her and hooked her into a double chickenwing hold.

"You're going airborne again!" she growled as she lifted Victoria straight up.

Victoria cried out in pain. Not only were her arms wrenched by the hold, being lifted in such a manner placed all her body weight onto the distressed limbs. Normally this hold was the first part of Beth's finishing move, the _Glam Slam_, but just being held in this position served as a submission maneuver, assuming Beth could hold it long enough.

Of course, after the feat of strength that had just been witnessed, nobody doubted that Beth could hold Victoria up all day.

But the dark-haired beauty would not let that happen. She was going to win this match…she HAD to win this match. Her hunger to prove she was the best wouldn't allow her to fail, even in the face of Beth's almost superhuman power.

So Victoria kicked backwards…again and again…striking Beth's stomach and torso repeatedly. Still reeling from the after effects of the keylock, the mighty blonde dropped her foe.

Landing on her feet and forcing herself to ignore her own pain, Victoria grabbed the vulnerable arm again and used a simple judo maneuver to take her opponent down. Once on the mat, she locked up Beth's arm once more.

The howl of agony Beth let out was heard even over the noise of the crowd…and was followed by an angry, if pain stricken, cry of "You bitch!" directed at Victoria.

Beth struggled to get to her feet once more, but after her earlier exertions she was unable to succeed. Victoria put every bit of pressure on the arm that she could apply.

"Tap already!" she shouted to her opponent. "It's over! I don't want to break your arm! Don't make me!"

The proud blonde knew it was over. Victoria would break the arm if she had to…Beth would have done the same if their positions were reversed. And while she hated to lose, there was no point in being stupid. Beth signaled the referee and Victoria had the victory.

"And there you have it," Ivory said, her voice still filled with traces of awe at what she'd witnessed in the match. "Victoria beats Beth to advance to the next round."

"You know, with what we've seen in the first two rounds," JBL commented in an almost solemn voice. "I can't imagine what we're going to see in round three."

******'******

_**To be continued…**_

******'******

**_author's notes:_** _Please review. Reviews help my stories get written faster. _

_Hope you all enjoyed the action in this round. I gave Layla the sleeper as a finisher because I loved seeing her attempt one on Beth Phoenix in a recent match. It's a great old-school move and a perfect maneuver to go with Layla's style. _

_Victoria has been wearing a knee brace for most of her career now…for the reasons given in the story. She also is training for MMA while still working as a wrestler. As a fan of hers I'm a bit concerned…for while I do have every confidence that she can kick butt for real, her knee would make a tempting target to any MMA fighter she faced off against. _

_As to Beth's broken jaw, that did happen. How? Victoria **slapped** her. (Yes, I'll be getting back to that). Unfortunately their timing was a little off and Beth had her mouth open when the slap hit. (Lesson: when you get hit in the face, have your mouth closed). Victoria felt horrible about the incident as Beth had just been called up to WWE's main roster at the time. But Beth didn't blame her, feeling it was her own fault for having her mouth open. She did end up having a series of surgeries that took about a year to complete…involving a titanium plate and nine screws. It kept her off the main roster and WWE television for a year…though it only took her two months to get back in the ring. She competed back in the WWE developmental system before all her surgeries were completed. _

_Now, back to that slap. Victoria **slapped** Beth and **broke her jaw**. Beth kept working in the match after the jaw had been broken and did the planned finish…treating it as a normal part of the job…which is what it was. Think about that. When people talk about pro wrestling being fake, remember this. Yes, it's not an actual fight. Yes, the wrestlers aren't trying to hurt each other. BUT…these people, including the women, ARE doing moves on each other and swinging at each other hard enough to BREAK THEIR JAWS WITH A SLAP! So when you hear someone putting down wrestling for being fake…ask them if they'll volunteer to be slapped by Victoria. _


	9. Chapter 9

It was growing late, but none of the fans in the arena had any desire to for the evening to come to a close. The amazing action they had seen thus far only whetted their appetite for more.

Backstage, the wrestlers still in the tournament were just as anxious mentally for the next round to start…though what some of them felt physically was another matter.

Layla had never felt so sore in her life, each of her limbs seemed as if it weighed a ton. She had no illusions about winning her next match, she just hoped that she'd be able to get through it without embarrassing herself.

Victoria was seated not far from the catering table, sipping on some Gatorade. The punishment she'd taken from Beth in her previous match was weighing on her mind. She'd been through worse beatings in the past…but hadn't had to get back into the ring so quickly afterwards. She pondered how things could go in the next round.

"How are you holding up?" the question came from behind her. She turned to see Mickie.

"Couldn't be better," she responded coolly as she rose to face her competitor. "How about you? Feeling run down?"

"Not by a long shot," came the reply. Then Mickie let the mask of gamesmanship slip just a bit. "Seriously, you sure you're okay? You and Beth were brutal out there."

"Just another day at the office," Victoria answered. "It's not going to stop me from taking the title tonight."

"No…I'm the one who'll be stopping that," the shorter woman laughed.

"Well, one of you had better take it," another voice all but growled. Victoria and Mickie were surprised when Beth Phoenix joined them. The powerful blonde had an icepack strapped to her arm, but still looked as intimidating as ever.

"It's bad enough that you lucked out and eliminated me," she said to Victoria. "But I can deal with that. It's just a matter of time before I get that belt from whoever wins tonight." She paused. "One thing I don't want to deal with though…I don't want McCool walking out of here as the first FWF Champion."

"No way is that happening," Mickie added with a flash of anger. "She doesn't deserve it."

Victoria nodded as she observed the rage in the eyes of the other women. Though she too shared some unpleasant history with Michelle McCool, it paled before the issues that Beth and Mickie had with the woman.

But past history and old hatreds didn't change the cold hard facts. And the most important fact on the table was that of the four women still left in the tournament, Michelle hadn't even broken a sweat yet. Layla, who would have been an underdog under the best of circumstances, was at the very edge of her endurance already. Victoria was feeling pretty battered herself. Mickie was probably in the best position of Michelle's possible opponents…but she had gone through two fast paced matches that had each gone near the ten minute mark.

Still, there was nothing to do but wait and see who was matched with who.

******'******

Layla was called out first for the beginning of round three. Hearing the crowd cheer for her as she made her way down the aisle was enough to make her forget her bruises temporarily. The affection she felt now from people who'd hated her at the start of the show…that in itself was a victory.

Then, her opponent was called out.

"So the former partners in crime now face off against one another," JBL said from the announcer's table as the crowd roundly jeered Michelle McCool's entrance.

"Yes, this is an interesting development," Ivory agreed. "But despite how well she's bucked the odds so far tonight, I don't think this match is going to go well for Layla. Michelle is too fresh."

In the ring, Layla frowned while Michelle smiled arrogantly. They both knew who had the advantage under these circumstances.

_Why'd it have to be her? _The angered Englishwoman thought bitterly. _Why couldn't it have been someone else? I can't stand the idea that I'm going to be another victory for that bloody cow!_

Still, there was nothing that could be done to change things. Layla clenched her fists and thought back to the confrontation she'd had with Michelle backstage earlier that day. At least she could be as good as her word and attack as hard and as viciously as possible before the match came to a close. She was determined to give the manipulative witch something to remember her by.

But then, the wheel was spun to determine the type of contest that they would compete in. The audience let out a gasp of surprise, as did Michelle and Layla themselves. But a moment later Michelle's surprise morphed into wicked delight even as Layla's expression began to show shock and no small bit of fear.

"Oh my," Ivory said. "We have a Hair Match!"

******'******

"Oh hell no!" Mickie exclaimed backstage as she watched the announcement on one of many monitors set up for the wrestlers' benefit.

"Never thought I'd feel bad for Layla," Beth commented but then shrugged. "Actually, I don't feel that bad for her…but damn, I'd rather see McCool lose this one."

"Not much chance of that I'm afraid," Victoria added. "Layla's going to need a miracle to get a win here."

******'******

The opinions of the wrestlers backstage were shared by the fans throughout the arena. They were rooting heavily for Layla, but none held out much hope for her.

_Why? Damn it! Why?_ The British beauty thought as the bell rang to signal the start of the match. Of course she'd thought about the possibility of being in a Hair Match since signing up for the tournament, but for the most part she'd put it out of her mind and hoped such an eventuality would never come to pass. But to be in one now, when she was sure to lose? If it had been against anyone else she might have been able to accept it. If it had been against Mickie or Beth she might have even looked at it as justice for her past crimes against them…but to face such humiliation at Michelle's hands? It wasn't fair!

"I am so going to enjoy this," McCool declared with wicked relish as she advanced upon her former sidekick.

In desperation Layla threw herself at the much taller woman and swung wildly. Sadly, Michelle blocked the blows with almost casual ease and then smashed her forearm right into Layla's face, which sent the smaller woman crashing to the mat.

Instead of following up with any further offense, Michelle dropped on her stunned opponent and covered her for a pinfall attempt. When Layla realized what was going on and heard the referee's hand strike the mat a second time, she screamed in near terror as she rolled to the side and lifted one shoulder. Though this saved her from defeat she was still in a panic and kicked and struggled until she could roll out from under Michelle. She then slid out under the bottom rope to try and get her bearings outside of the ring.

Michelle stood up and chuckled, making no attempt to follow her foe. The referee began to count for Layla to get back inside the squared circle.

"Seems like Michelle is very confident here," Ivory commented.

JBL nodded. "She's been sailing through all her matches tonight and she's not looking to expend any extra energy for this one when she doesn't have to. I'm sure she'll be just as happy here with a count out as she would with a pinfall or submission."

"Yes, because no matter how the match is decided, the loser is going to be getting a haircut."

Layla waited until the ref was up to seven on his ten count before she tried to roll back into the ring. But as soon as she got on the ring apron Michelle charged forward and grabbed her. Layla pushed out of her grasp before McCool could tighten her grip and dropped back down to the floor. Fortunately that action caused the referee to start his count over, giving Layla more time to regroup…but this was little comfort for her.

Inside the ring, Michelle gazed down at her weary opponent. The message in the tall blonde's eyes was clear. 'You have to get back in this ring eventually…and then you're mine!' It was either that, or stay outside and lose on a technicality. Either way, Layla would end up humiliated.

"It's not fair!" she yelled aloud, too frustrated to hide her feelings.

"Oh…Boo Hoo!" Michelle mocked her. "Poor little Layla's going to cry!"

The evil woman's condescending tone was too much to stand. Layla's frustration gave way to rage and she screamed defiance at her foe. She looked around to see the ringside timekeeper and, without even thinking, pushed him out of his chair and then picked it up before charging back towards the ring.

Michelle took a step back even as the referee moved to intercept Layla.

"Put that down!" he warned sternly as he blocked her entrance to the ring. "This isn't a hardcore match! You use any weapons and this is over…you lose!"

Of course, Layla knew this. She threw the chair down on the floor and continued to pace around the ring. Fortunately her fit of anger and attempt to bring the chair into play had cause the referee to restart the count once more…but this was only prolonging the inevitable.

"Come on, let's just end it," Michelle called out. "You know you can't beat me!"

Layla glared at her former so-called mentor. _I could beat you_, she thought. _If I had a fair chance I bet I could! But no, that will never happen with you. You don't play fair. All you do is lie and cheat..that's all I ever learned from you. Lying, cheating and sucking up to anyone with authority in the WWE office. Hell, when we were a team we spent more time socializing with Vickie Guerrero than we did in the gym! _

But as Layla reflected bitterly about how little she'd learned from Michelle…something clicked in her brain. Lying…Cheating…Guerrero. There was something about grouping those words together that…of course! Suddenly some specific memories came back to her.

When Michelle and Layla had been in WWE together, they'd often curried favor from Mrs. Guerrero, who held a considerable amount of power within the organization. At times they'd been invited over to the woman's home. On those occasions, the executive liked to reminisce about her late husband…often showing tapes of his storied wrestling career.

Lie…Cheat…Guerrero.

The idea that formed in Layla's mind was borderline insane...she knew this. But what choice did she have? She may have had little chance of success, but at least she'd go down knowing that she'd tried.

"Come on!" Michelle continued to goad from inside the ring. "Get in here already!"

Layla took that cue to cry out angrily once more. "You're not going to get away with this Michelle!" she raged. "You're going to pay!"

Like a madwoman Layla began to run around the ring exterior, shouting her rage all the while. She came back to where the timekeeper had been sitting and saw the ringside announcer was seated only a few feet away. She now pushed him and grabbed his chair, then attempted to get back in the ring.

Again, the referee stopped her.

"I warned you once already!" he admonished. "Put that chair down!"

But Layla continued to rage, shouting about unfairness and the injustice of this match. Instead of dropping the chair she tossed it high into the air so that it landed inside the ring.

"Calm down!" the referee warned again. "You're trying my patience!" He then turned his attention to the chair now lying in the middle of the ring. He picked it up and then walked over to the side of the ring to hand it down to the grateful ringside announcer.

But as he did so, his back was turned to Layla. She quickly grabbed the OTHER chair that was still on the floor near her feet, the one that she'd earlier taken from the timekeeper. With it in hand, she scrambled back into the ring and brandished it towards Michelle.

But McCool was not about to present a stationary target to the enraged Layla. She began to retreat, but was puzzled when her foe made no effort to advance upon her. Instead, Layla swung the chair to hit the mat loudly, and then with the sound of the impact still ringing in the air, Layla carefully…gently…tossed the chair into the air towards Michelle. It wasn't hurled as some sort of makeshift projectile…more in the manner of a ball thrown to a child. Michelle had no difficulty catching it.

And the second it was in the blonde's hands, Layla collapsed to the mat.

Thus, the sight that greeted the referee's eyes when he turned back around was Michelle holding a steel chair…and Layla sprawled on the canvas as if she were dead.

The audience caught on even as JBL started laughing at the announcer's table. "She's pulling an Eddie!" he shouted. "As I live and breathe, Layla is trying to pull an Eddie!"

The late Eddie Guerrero: Hall of Famer, World Champion and one of JBL's greatest opponents. A man whose athletic ability had been exceeded only by the shameless glee with which he'd attempted the most outlandish tricks, cons and scams against his opponents. His motto had been 'Lie, Cheat and Steal' and now Layla was taking a page out of his book in an attempt to steal a victory.

What was more…the audience decided to try and help her. For even as Michelle, with a look of absolute mortification on her face, threw the chair aside and began pleading with the referee that she was innocent…a loud chant broke out.

"McCOOL DID IT! McCOOL DID IT!"

"No, I swear!" the blonde insisted, her tone growing ever more panic stricken as she saw the angry look in the official's eyes. "I swear I didn't do it! You have to believe me!"

"Michelle seems scared out of her mind," Ivory commented. "And I can understand why. The referee looks ready to end this match."

"He does," JBL added. "But we all know that a ref will very rarely call for a disqualification unless he actually sees an illegal act take place with his own eyes. Michelle might still be safe here, in spite of Layla's best efforts."

Indeed, Michelle kept protesting her innocence…seemingly on the verge of tears at times. Though the referee was suspicious, McCool had quite a reputation after all, he decided that the stakes of this match were too important to make a ruling without ironclad evidence. He settled for giving Michelle a stern warning about following all the rules for the remainder of the match. The look of relief on her face at this development was clear to see.

It was also a look that quickly changed to surprise…for while she'd been pleading her case with the official, Layla had quietly crawled over behind her. A split second after the referee had made his decision, Layla grabbed Michelle and rolled her over into a schoolgirl pin attempt. The referee dove to the mat to began the count, and when Layla saw that his gaze was focused entirely on Michelle's shoulders, she gained some extra leverage by grabbing hold of the woman's tights. Though in her desperation to gain every advantage, she pulled a little harder than was necessary…resulting in JBL's enthusiastic exclamation.

"Full moon inside the arena tonight!" he laughed as McCool's bare bottom was exposed half the arena. But modesty was the least of the blonde's problems, for between the surprise of the maneuver and the illegal grip Layla had on her tights…Michelle was unable to get her shoulders off the mat before the ref counted three.

"LAYLA WINS! LAYLA WINS!" Ivory shouted as the fans throughout the arena all but exploded with excitement.

A similar excitement took hold of a number of individuals backstage.

"She did it!" Mickie shouted. "She beat Michelle!"

"That means Michelle…" Beth Phoenix started before trailing off, she could scarcely believe that her hated enemy was finally going to get some well-deserved payback. "Oh…this is just too awesome!"

Victoria smiled. She was certainly happy at this development, not only because of her dislike for McCool, but also because it changed the tournament landscape drastically. The least battered and freshest of the remaining competitors had just been eliminated. That was a very welcome turn of events.

But for now, it was time to enjoy the coming spectacle.

******'******

To describe Michelle as 'stunned', 'shocked' or 'disbelieving' in the moments after she'd fallen to Layla's trickery would not have been entirely accurate. Such words didn't begin to cover the severity of her feelings. It would have been better to say she was almost entirely disconnected from reality for a minute or two, for her mind couldn't process what had just happened.

It was only when some arena staff members lifted a specially designed chair into the ring that she fully recognized the truth of things. The match was over…she had lost…and now everyone in the building was expecting her to get her head shaved.

_No way in hell!_ she thought. But when she attempted to exit the ring, the referee moved to block her.

"Come on, you know the rules."

"Out of my way!" she snapped as she shoved the man aside roughly.

Layla, who'd been caught up in the elation of her own success, took notice of her foe's escape attempt then. She rushed over to grab Michelle's arm, but this proved to be a mistake.

McCool turned on her former lackey in anger and caught her with several hard blows. Layla, still suffering from her earlier matches, was unable to mount an effective defense. With the smaller woman suddenly at her mercy, Michelle forgot about trying to flee from the ring and opted for a new plan. She dragged Layla towards the makeshift barber chair.

"She can't do that," Ivory complained as she surmised the blonde's intent. "Michelle's the one who lost. Somebody needs to stop her!"

And in fact, the arena staff did attempt to keep Michelle from putting Layla in the chair, but she lashed out at them with some wild swings…one of which connected and dropped the largest of the men to the mat. That caused the other men in the ring, including the referee, to back off.

"Things don't look good for Layla," JBL commented.

The audience booed as McCool pushed the British beauty into the chair. Layla struggled, but a few more punches from Michelle took the fight out of her. However, as Michelle reached for the case of barber's utensils that had been brought into the ring along with the chair…the audiences' boos turned to a roar of excitement when two figures raced down the entrance aisle towards the ring.

"It's Mickie James and Beth Phoenix!" Ivory shouted.

Michelle wasn't aware of her enemies' arrival until they were upon her. Mickie knocked the clippers from the blonde's hand and then rocked her with a forearm smash to the jaw. This sent McCool reeling into the waiting arms of Beth who scooped her up to deliver a bone crushing body slam.

Realizing her predicament, Michelle tried to ignore the pain and get back to her feet…but she only made it to her knees before Mickie had grabbed one of her arms and Beth had taken hold of the other. She let out a shriek as they dragged her back towards the chair, much to the crowd's delight.

But Michelle's shrieking increased dramatically when she felt a third set of hands take hold of her. For while Mickie and Beth held her fast, Layla had recovered enough to wrap her arms around McCool's neck and head. Michelle realized she was caught in Layla's sleeper hold.

"NOOOO!" she screamed in absolute terror, knowing she'd have no hope of escape if she succumbed to the effects of the sleeper. But in truth, her position was already hopeless.

As it happened, Michelle never did lose consciousness fully. Layla didn't need to keep the hold on that long. She just used the hold to weaken the blonde so much that she couldn't offer any resistance to Beth and Mickie. They placed her in the chair and then strapped her in tight using built in restraints on her wrists, ankles, and waist. (It had been assumed that the losers of any Hair Matches would probably not have been willing to stay in the chair of their own accord.)

Layla picked up the clippers as Michelle kept screaming. But then she hesitated, which resulted in curious looks from Beth and Mickie…and Michelle as well. The captive blonde stopped screaming and began to plead and beg for mercy.

"I'm not going to cut your hair," Layla said unexpectedly.

Michelle's relief was evident, but also short lived. For Layla went back to the collection of barber tools and picked up a second set of clippers. She then handed both of the cutting devices to Beth and Mickie.

"You two should do it," she told the surprised women. "After all you've gone through with her…it's only right."

Two huge smiles lit up the duo's faces while Michelle's eyes widened in fear. She began to scream again, and kept screaming as her two enemies plunged the hungry clippers into her golden locks.

The audience loved every moment of it.

Backstage, many other wrestlers enjoyed watching the shearing on the monitors as well. Michelle was not a popular person…and seeing her suffer such humiliation was quite a treat for most, including Victoria. She'd almost been tempted to run out with Beth and Mickie earlier…but she'd known that they could handle matters without her. So she was content to just watch the images on the screen and smile.

But one wrestler did not smile at the scene. Not that she had any sympathy for Michelle, but seeing the head shaving, hearing the screaming and the laughter of the crowd…it brought back too many painful memories.

Molly Holly found a quiet corner of the locker room, far away from any monitors, and waited for the haircutting to end.

******'******

"I'll kill you!" Michelle shouted furiously. "I'll kill you all!"

While the murderous intent in her eyes seemed genuine, the other women in the ring were not concerned. They were enjoying matters far too much.

Michelle was still strapped to the chair, but the clippers had been turned off. The damage had been done, as all her tresses were now scattered on the mat around her. Her head had nothing left but stubble.

"You know," JBL said. "Forget about her hair for a moment, looking at Michelle's face now, I never realized how much she resembles a famous celebrity."

"Oh, and who might that be?" Ivory asked, though she could tell by her broadcast partner's tone that he was readying some wisecrack.

"Mister Ed," he answered.

"You're terrible," she responded, though she could see why he'd make such a comparison. While Michelle was a great beauty, her face had a long angular shape to it…which was much more noticeable now that her head was shaved. 'Horse-faced' was the term an uncharitable person might use.

"She looks upset," JBL cracked. "Hey Michelle, why the long face?"

Ivory just laughed.

The referee was the one who finally released McCool from the chair. Though she glared hatefully at the other women she didn't try to attack them. The odds were not in her favor. She instead ran from the ring, shouting threats to the other wrestlers, the audience, and (at one point) the entire world.

She grabbed her belongings from the locker room without bothering to even change into her street clothes…then she ran outside and caught the first taxi she could, leaving the arena behind.

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes:_** _Please review. Feedback is important. _

_So Michelle gets her just desserts...hooray! Did any of you expect it would happen so soon? __But while the good girls may be enjoying themselves at the moment, the story is far from over. The FWF still needs to crown a champion...and many other points need to be addressed. Stay tuned. _

_On a less happy note...once again, women's wrestling in the real world seems like it is getting worse by the minute. Since my last chapter was posted, WWE has unceremoniously terminated Mickie James (despite the fact the she has been the most popular woman in the company since Trish Stratus retired) and then TNA (in an effort to outdo WWE in stupidity) decides it's not concerned about resigning Victoria now that her contract is close to expiring. Furthermore, all signs are that TNA may be doing the same to Hamada, Taylor Wilde, and Sarita (Sarah Stock)…in other words: their MOST talented wrestlers. And this is the same company that has already let go of Awesome Kong, Melissa Anderson, and Roxxi…but keeps giving the utterly untalented Lacey Von Erich time on television EVERY SINGLE WEEK! _

_I think the probability of me never viewing a TNA broadcast again is VERY high. I'll wait to the end of this month to see if they come to their senses about Victoria. _

_And a final note, while I have Michelle written as a horrible bitch in this story, I'd like to take a moment to note that I really appreciate what a great job she does in reality. She is an awesome villain and the current storyline pitting her and Layla against Beth Phoenix is just about the only bright spot for women's wrestling as it presently stands. _


	10. Chapter 10

When Layla, flanked by Beth and Mickie, made her way backstage there were many other wrestlers waiting to offer her congratulations. Humiliating the much-hated Michelle had earned Layla a lot of goodwill. In addition, her victory had gained her a spot in the tournament's final match. This feat was worthy of respect.

Mickie and Beth actually served as makeshift bodyguards and escorted Layla through the other women so that she could make it to the relative privacy of one of the locker rooms. Once the trio were inside, the exhausted Layla took a seat. Mickie smiled at her and started to speak…but was interrupted by Beth.

"Let's get one thing straight," the powerfully-built blonde said as she stared at Layla. "If you think that all is forgiven just because you embarrassed Michelle, you'd be wrong."

The British beauty noted the slight scowl on Beth's face and said nothing. The intoxicating joy of her upset victory retreated and her mood quickly sobered.

"I guess I can't blame you," she said quietly as she looked up at Beth. "All I can say is that I truly am sorry for all the stuff I've done to you in the past." She glanced over to Mickie. "Both of you."

"I wasn't finished," Beth said gruffly. "Embarrassing Michelle wasn't enough to balance the scales…" She paused and her stern expression transformed. There was an almost childlike twinkle in her eye and a huge smile spread across her face. "But handing the clippers over to us…letting us do the honors…THAT was awesome!"

Beth reached out to the surprised Layla and affectionately patted her on the head. It was an odd, almost condescending gesture in a way…but the genuine warmth in Beth's expression kept Layla from being offended.

"Just so you know," Beth continued. "You're off my list of people I plan to break in half...and on my list of people that I can tolerate." She paused. "So don't do anything to screw that up."

With that, the blonde turned and left the locker room.

Layla and Mickie exchanged glances.

"Is she always like that?" Layla asked.

Mickie shook her head. "No. I've never seen her like that before." She hesitated and then grinned at the British beauty. "She usually takes a LOT longer to warm up to people."

"You're joking, right?"

The former champion chuckled. "She gave you her offical head pat of approval. When she and I started to get on good terms with one another, it took weeks before she patted my head the first time. I think she likes you."

Layla pondered this information, and then her eyes widened just a bit.

"Wait, when you say that she likes me, you don't mean she…fancies me, do you?"

Mickie hadn't meant to imply any such thing, but she couldn't help feeling amused at the other woman's puzzled and slightly flustered expression. She said nothing.

"She's not…because I'm not…" Layla stammered out half-formed statements. "Not that there's anything wrong with that. I just don't want there to be any misunderstandings."

"I can't really speak for Beth," Mickie replied with a straight face. "Maybe you should ask her?"

"No…Beth is straight," Layla went on, trying to sound confident. "She used to date Santino Marella after all."

Despite herself, Mickie couldn't resist teasing her former enemy. "Yes, that proves she's straight. A woman who looks like an amazon goddess was invovled with a clownish buffoon and occassional crossdresser. There was nothing questionable about that relationship."

"Are you saying…?"

"I'm not trying to say anything," Mickie cut her off with a grin. "Beth's a private person and I really don't know what she looks for in the romance department. Anyway, I can't talk now. I've got a match to prepare for."

******'******

Victoria tried to appear nonchalant and relaxed as she made her way to the ring. She was still sore from her earlier battles and she knew she had a big challenge left…but she was more determined than ever to win. The fact that Layla had already qualified for the championship match only added to her motivation. For as battered as Victoria was, she was positive she'd be able to defeat the less experienced and equally exhausted Englishwoman. But first she'd have to go though one last obstacle.

A very significant obstacle.

"And the opponent," the ring announcer called out after Victoria had climbed in the ring and been introduced. "Mickie James!"

The crowd went wild, as it always did for Mickie. Victoria watched her closely as she came down the aisle. Mickie was smiling and waving to the fans as usual…but Victoria noted that her entrance was just a little less chipper and bouncy than normal. Obviously Mickie was worn down from the tournament as well.

Once they were both in the ring, the women waited for the match type to be determined. The announcement, when it came, made the atmosphere suddenly even more serious.

"And there it is," Ivory commented from the announcer's table. "The stipulation for the last qualifying match of the tournament…a Ladder Match."

"Always a dangerous match," JBL added. "And the fact that both these ladies have to be fatigued at this point only adds to the risk. When you're tired you're more likely to make the kinds of mistakes that can lead to serious injury."

"True," Ivory agreed. "But let's hope nothing like that happens here. It's worth reminding everyone though, as entertaining as these matches are…wrestlers are putting their bodies on the line EVERY time they step into the ring, even in standard matches."

"There's a reason they say: don't try this at home," JBL concluded.

The bell rang and the two wrestlers began circling each other. Once they locked up, the match turned into a rather conventional affair. Neither made an attempt to go for the ladder. Each was more interested in testing the other…seeing how much they had left and figuring out what it would take to earn a victory.

Just like any other match between the two…Victoria was the stronger, Mickie was the faster, and they were in a dead heat when it came to technical wrestling skill. But as the battle progressed, it was soon apparent that Mickie was gaining the upper hand. Victoria tried to hide any signs of weakness, but the punishment she'd taken from Beth earlier had sapped so much of her endurance. Her limbs began to feel like lead weights. More and more of Mickie's attacks went unanswered. Moves that Victoria could have normally countered slipped past her defenses.

"Mickie's taken control of this match," JBL commented. "I'm betting she'll go for the ladder before too long."

But Mickie was too familiar with Victoria, and had too much respect for her ability, to assume the larger woman was beaten yet. She thought it best if she could ensure her opponent was utterly spent and unable to stop her from climbing to ladder. Thus her attacks continued. Wrestling tactics were abandoned and Mickie simply began launching strike after strike at her foe.

Nonetheless, Victoria would not go down. The audience became completely enthralled in the drama that developed before their eyes. Victoria's arms were at her sides, she couldn't even make a token show of resistance…yet still she stood, helpless but unbowed.

_Why do you have to be so stubborn?_ Mickie thought with equal parts frustration and admiration. She also realized she was using the wrong kinds of tactics at this point. There was no sense in trying to beat Victoria down when she could simply be outmaneuvered. She took hold of her foe and used a basic takedown to get her to the mat. She then rolled the woman out underneath the bottom rope so that she dropped to the floor at ringside. Then, alone in the ring, Mickie went for the ladder.

"I think Mickie's got this," Ivory announced. "I'm not even sure Victoria's aware what's going on."

But just as she uttered those words, the dazed wrester pulled herself back to her feet by holding onto the ring apron. She looked up and saw that Mickie was halfway up the ladder.

Exhaustion…fatigue…pain…all of it could be damned! Competitive spirit and the need to win forced movement into Victoria's leaden limbs. She slid back into the ring…she staggered to her feet…and she dove towards the ladder. The intent was to climb up after her foe…grab her leg…pull her down. But in Victoria's battered state, her agility suffered. She collided with the ladder and sent it toppling.

Mickie realized what was happening. She didn't panic. After all, it wouldn't have been a ladder match if the ladder hadn't been tipped over with someone on it at least once. As it began to fall she made ready to jump to the side.

But as she went to push off with her legs, one of her feet slid off the rung on which she was standing. Her leg plunged into the ladder as it fell and she let out a cry of pain.

A cry of pain that was nothing compared to the wail of agony that followed a few short moments later.

Still dazed, Victoria's head suddenly cleared at the most disturbing sound she'd ever heard. As a wrestler, she'd been exposed to many of the sounds that different kinds of pain could cause. She'd made many of those sounds herself over the course of her career. But the cries she heard now were unlike any she'd heard before.

She looked over to Mickie, on the mat, underneath the fallen ladder. The woman was alternating between sobbing and screaming…and who could blame her? One of her legs was twisted in the ladders rungs. It was bent just below the knee.

Bent about ninety degrees…in a direction that human legs were not designed to bend.

In a few moments, other loud shouts joined Mickie's screams. Ivory and JBL were both yelling into their microphones, urging the backstage EMTs to get to the ring. Victoria cried out Mickie's name and grabbed hold of her hand…and nearly had her fingers crushed crushed in a pain fueled vise-like grip.

Mercifully, the backstage personnel had been watching closely and rushed to the ring immediately.

The sequence of events that followed were not entirely clear to Victoria. All she knew is that time seemed to slow to a crawl, and it was hard for her to focus on anything but the pain etched on Mickie's face. Somehow she found herself following the EMTs down the aisle as they stretchered Mickie backstage. She didn't hear the bell ring or the announcement that she'd won the match by default. Indeed, it wasn't until she felt a strong set of arms take hold of her and pull her away from the medics tending to Mickie that Victoria felt fully reconnected to reality. She began to protest and tried to fight off the person holding her…until she realized it was Lance.

"Calm down," he said as he looked at his friend's stricken face. "Just let them take care of her. It will be fine."

"But her leg…" Victoria said in an anguished voice. "I didn't mean…"

"I know you didn't," he replied, and then gave her a meaningful look. "And she knows you didn't. It's just something that happened. Part of the job."

"But-"

"Part of the job," he repeated. "Now come on…you need to sit down and recover while you can. You've got one more match."

The professional part of Victoria's mind agreed. It began trying to shout down the other turbulent feelings in her head. But while her demeanor became more subdued, there were still powerful emotions inside her that refused to quiet completely.

"We can go see Mickie at the hospital tonight," Lance reassured her. "Everything will be fine."

"Sure," she answered in a quiet voice. "It's all fine." She took a deep breath. "All fine."

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes:_** _Please review. Feedback is important. I'd like to know everyone's reactions to how things are going for Victoria, Mickie, Layla, etc. _

_I've not been feeling well so it took a long time before I could get back to this story. I'm pretty bummed about that and wish I could turn out the chapters at a faster pace. _

_In the real wrestling world, not a lot I feel like commenting on since the last chapter was posted...except: Yay Layla - new WWE Women's Champion! Nice to see that her hard work has gotten some rewards. Of course, if WWE decides to split up Layla and Michelle and has them become enemies...remember, I did it first in this story. :)_


	11. Chapter 11

There was a longer than planned intermission before the championship match. After seeing Mickie off to the hospital, Jim Cornette came to the ring and addressed the fans, updating them all on her condition.

"It's unfortunate for something like that to happen to a great competitor like Mickie, but she is getting the best care possible," he reassured everyone. "Everyone in the FWF is going to be looking forward to seeing her back in the ring as soon as she's able."

After that announcement, the audience was given a break to visit the concession stands and restrooms. Then when everyone had returned to their seats, Christy Hemme came to the ring and killed some time by hosting a 'kiss-cam' segment that targeted couples throughout the crowd. She also tossed out some free t-shirts to the fans.

Backstage, both Victoria and Layla took advantage of the time to try and recuperate both physically and mentally.

Layla had never before exerted herself so much in the ring as she had that night. While the beating she'd taken from ODB earlier in the evening had been intense, it had also been rather short, all things considered. It was her match with Melina that had truly drained her. But for all that, her spirits were high. She'd pulled off the greatest victories of her life tonight and won not only the respect of her fans, but that of her peers. And her humiliation of Michelle…that had felt like a once in a lifetime moment. No, Layla's flesh may have been weak at the moment, but her spirit was soaring. On top of that, she had no expectations for winning it all…she'd already achieved more success than she'd dreamed by coming this far. She was going into the championship bout feeling an amazing lack of pressure. She had nothing to lose.

Victoria could not say the same. Physically she'd been taxed more that night than she had in a long time…possibly more than she ever had at anytime in her career. But she was a woman who was accustomed to such punishment. Her strength and endurance were the envy of almost every woman on the roster. Even now, at the very brink of her breaking point, she was still formidable. And her need to win…that was as strong as ever. While Layla had come in with a desire to prove herself a worthy wrestler, Victoria's ambitions were much loftier. She had long established herself as a fixture of the women's wrestling scene. But her status as a respected veteran had never satisfied Victoria. It was why she'd never walked away from the business when so many of her contemporaries had. She'd always felt there was more she could achieve…that she could prove she was the best…the absolute best. And with the establishment of the FWF she'd never been more determined to reach that elusive goal.

But now, with the gold in her grasp, her emotions were in shambles. She was tired, she was hurt, and her focus was split. At best, only half her mind was in the arena preparing for the final match. The rest of her thoughts were speeding away in an ambulance to a nearby hospital. She could still see Mickie's face…normally such a beautiful face…contorted by pain. And her leg, the angle at which it had been twisted…could it be set right? When it healed would she be the same…or was her career over? These questions haunted Victoria. And they haunted her still as her name was called and she began a slow walk towards the ring.

******'******

The long night was almost over and the final match was to be the culmination of all that had gone before. The fans in attendance had been through an emotional roller coaster since the start of the night. They'd laughed, they'd been shocked, they'd cried. They'd viewed disappointment and failure alongside redemption and validation. Jillian Hall and Layla had elevated themselves to a new level. Melina had faced an unexpected humbling. Beth Phoenix had amazed and astounded onlookers even as she'd gone down in defeat. Michelle McCool had been more thoroughly and satisfyingly humiliated than anyone had ever dared dream possible. The much-loved Mickie James had been carried out in tears, causing every heart in the arena to break just a little and thousands of quiet prayers to be said.

And all that just to reach this moment…the moment that would crown the first ever FWF World Champion.

Victoria was cheered by the fans as she climbed into the ring, though perhaps not as loudly as she'd been cheered earlier in the evening. It wasn't so much that the audience was blaming her for Mickie's injury, but more of a sobering reaction to the fact that the last time they'd seen Victoria in the ring, something tragic had transpired.

The cheers for Layla were wildly enthusiastic, and she reveled in them. Tired as she was she smiled and waved as she came down the aisle, and took time to high five and even give some quick hugs to the fans at ringside.

When both women were in the ring, a more formal announcement was made, as befitted a World Title bout. There would be no spin of the wheel for this match. No unusual stipualtions. This was to be a pure one on one battle for supremacy. A championship should be decided in no other way.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the main event of the evening. It will be contested to one fall, with no time limit, for the FWF World Championship."

Again, the crowd erupted. The ring announcer waited for the cheers to die down before continuing.

"The contenders: first to my right…from London, England and now residing in Miami, Florida. She stands five feet two inches tall and weighs in at one hundred and twenty pounds…LAYLA EL!

More wild cheers from the fans.

"And to my left, from Los Angles, California. She stands five feet eight inches tall and weighs in tonight at one hundred and fifty pounds. She is a five time Women's World Champion…VICTORIA!

Again the fans sounded off…showing more energy than they had when Victoria had first entered. The anticipation for the match to begin was feeding the crowd's excitement.

After the announcer left the ring but before the bell had rung, Layla took a step towards Victoria and held out her hand. Though her thoughts were still troubled, Victoria could see there was nothing false in her opponent's expression. She responded to the gesture and shook Layla's hand, which generated some more applause from the audience.

"A nice show of sportsmanship to start things off," Ivory commented.

"We'll see how long that lasts," JBL replied. "This match is for all the marbles. And after all these two have gone through to get here, I expect they'll go at it tooth and nail once the action gets underway."

When the bell rang, neither woman moved. Rather than run at one another or even circle each other cautiously, they simply stood for a moment and waited to see who would make the first move. The stare down was revealing. Normally Layla would have been far too intimidated by Victoria to play the role of aggressor, but she saw the larger woman seemed somewhat distracted.

_Oh, what the hell? Why not?_ the British beauty thought almost giddily before launching herself at the powerful veteran. She opted for a straight forward flying dropkick…and connected. And though this didn't take Victoria off her feet, only sending her staggering back a few steps, Layla's confidence was still bolstered. With a devil-may-care attitude she ran at Victoria again.

The veteran tried to recover and swung at Layla as she charged. But the shorter woman ducked under her and, once behind her foe, hit a reverse thrust kick to Victoria's back. Off balance, Victoria stumbled forward. Layla ran up to her and grabbed her head before turning so that they were back to back. Then she executed her version of a classic neckbreaker.

"The _Lay-Out_!" Ivory shouted from the announce table. "Layla just hit her finisher."

"And she's going for the cover!" JBL added.

The referee slapped the canvas once…twice…and his hand was less than an inch from hitting it a third time when Victoria suddenly twisted underneath Layla to raise one shoulder off the mat. The audience let out a cry of shock, though not of disappointment. Close calls always made for good drama…and anyone would have been hard pressed to find a closer call than what they'd just witnessed.

Victoria sat upright as Layla rolled off her and to her side.

_Snap out of it!_ The veteran admonished herself. _Get up! Why are you even on the mat? Get up! _

Normally such thoughts wouldn't even have formed in Victoria's mind. She would have scrambled to her feet on instinct alone. But she realized that she was not on her game at all. It was a disturbing feeling. She felt out of place, confused…like some green rookie. And she became even more disturbed when she realized she was still sitting on the mat as she again felt Layla's arms wrap around her head. But this was not attempt at a neckbreaker. It took her a second to register what was happening, and by then the crowd had started to roar.

"Sleeper hold!" Ivory cried out excitedly. "Layla's put the sleeper on Victoria!"

"And she's already down on the mat," JBL put in. "We could be watching history here!"

Victoria tried to lurch up and forward. She got on her knees even as the effects of the sleeper began to really hit her. Instead of being able to rise further, she felt herself falling. In her current state, the sleeper was a devastating move to use against her. It wasn't painful in the least, rather it made her unable to think...added to her exhaustion. It was seductive really. She was already so tired. Why not give in? Close her eyes and rest?

_GET UP!_ The competitor inside Victoria screamed. _FIGHT! FIGHT OR YOU'RE LOST! _

But that voice had another arguing against it. A sad and weary voice that represented the guilt she was feeling over what had happened to Mickie.

_Stop…give in_, this voice said. _If you deserved to win you wouldn't be in this position now. You can't even beat Layla? You shouldn't be champion. A real champion would have beaten Mickie without hurting her._

_NO! FIGHT! _

_No…give in. _The sad voice may have whispered instead of shouting, but it filled Victoria's mind just as loudly. _Look out into the crowd. You see the excitement in their faces? They want Layla to win. She deserves it more. Give it to her. Give it to them. Close your eyes and lie down. _

And even as her competitive side kept screaming, Victoria let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes…collapsing to the mat like a rag doll.

"THIS IS IT!" Ivory shouted. "THIS IS IT!"

The crowd was yelling its collective lungs out as the referee raised Victoria's arm the first time only to watch it fall back to the canvas. Then a second time.

But as her arm was raised a third time, Victoria's eyes opened. She clenched her fist and kept her arm in the air.

The guilty voice inside her wasn't whispering now. And the competitor wasn't screaming. No, the only scream now was an actual one…the one Victoria let out as she struggled to stand.

A scream of rage.

She and Layla were facing the side of the ring where the announcer's table was placed. Thus, Ivory and JBL both got an excellent view of Victoria's expression as she got back on her knees, and then back to her feet, with Layla still hanging on to her with the sleeper hold.

"Victoria's…" Ivory began, surprise evident in her tone. "Victoria's still in this. And…I haven't seen that look in her eyes in years." That statement was very true. But the fact remained that Ivory had seen that look in the woman's eyes before. So had her broadcast partner.

"Ladies and gentlemen, don't look now," JBL said. "But I think the original Psycho-Diva is back in the house!"

Psycho-Diva...the tag that had been attached to Victoria at the start of her wrestling career when she'd come into the business displaying a disturbing obsession with the already established Trish Stratus. Back then, Victoria had been as strong and athletically gifted as she was now, but almost entirely irrational...a hate-filled monster. That monster had been banished over the years...therapy and counseling had made it retreat to the point that Victoria had even been able to compete against Trish and remain in control...even though her issues with her one time friend-turned-enemy had never been resolved.

No, over the years Victoria had come to be known as a fierce competitor with a considerable temper and quite an ability to hold a grudge...but also as a fairly reasonable woman who strived to be as good as she could be in her chosen field. A woman who loved and respected professional wrestling and contributed greatly to it. A woman who could have friends and relationships.

That woman was not in the ring at the moment.

Letting out another scream of rage, Victoria reached back and grabbed a handful of Layla's hair. Then she bent forward suddenly, pulling at Layla at the same time so that the smaller woman flipped forward off Victoria's back. It was an inelegant but effective way to break out of the sleeper hold.

Being so fatigued, Layla was slow to rise off the mat after being slammed onto it. Victoria was able to use that time to throw off any after effects of being in the sleeper hold. Thus she was ready when Layla finally regained her feet. She charged the smaller woman and swept her outstretched arm to catch Layla right in the throat.

"What a clothesline!" Ivory shouted.

"Damn straight," JBL chimed in. "That was worthy of...well, it was worthy of me!" Though an egocentric statement, it was also high praise. JBL's dreaded _Clothesline from Hell _had given him victories over some of the biggest names in wrestling over the years, but the one that Victoria had just delivered to Layla looked equally as devastating. Indeed, it didn't simply knock Layla to the mat, it sent her head and upper body crashing down so hard that her legs folded over her as she went. She wound up completing a backwards somersault and ended up laying face down on the canvas.

But rather than following up her attack, Victoria simply stood and cocked her head oddly to one side. She raised her hands to either side of her head and ran her fingers through her long black hair while an expression of pure insanity appeared on her face.

"Oh yeah," JBL commented. "Classic Psycho-Diva, right there."

Ivory, who was not taking this development as light heartedly as JBL, spoke in a more serious tone. "Yes, but standing and posing isn't going to win her the match. She needs to snap out of this."

"You've got a point," he conceded. "Oh, but it looks likes she's getting back to business now."

Indeed, Victoria stopped posing and advanced on Layla's prone form. She picked up the British beauty from the mat and then hefted her onto her shoulders with ease.

"_Spider's Web!_" Ivory called out as Victoria hit one of her signature moves and then covered the seemingly unconscious Layla for the three count.

"And it's over!" JBL exclaimed. "Victoria is the FWF World Champion!"

The audience cheered. Even though Victoria had undergone a rather disturbing transformation during the match, the fans were still excited that the amazing night of wrestling had finally reached a conclusion.

Yet Victoria was lost and confused. For as the referee raised her hand in victory, the malevolent look left her eyes and an overwhelming wave of exhaustion came over her. She wasn't sure what had happened. The last thing she remembered was feeling Layla's arms wrapping around her to lock in the sleeper hold.

But now, Jim Cornette was climbing in the ring and holding the beautiful golden title belt that had been crafted for this occasion. He presented it to Victoria as she realized that...somehow...she had won.

Cornette took the microphone to do the honors in place of the regular ring announcer.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my distinct pleasure to present the winner of tonight's tournament and the Female Wrestling Federation's first ever World Champion! VICTORIA!"

Applause echoed throughout the arena and a still stunned Victoria hugged the belt tightly to her chest. The entire moment seemed surreal to her.

Surreal...and vaguely unsatisfying.

She could accept that somehow she'd fought on instinct and won the match even though she'd blacked out. Ordinarily that would have been a source of pride to her...that she could reach her goal even when driven past all limits of physical endurance. No, the problem was that her purpose had been to win the title to prove she was the best...to be able to bask in the moment of glory.

And right now, in spite of her victory, glory wasn't where her mind was at.

Nevertheless, she managed a smile as the belt was wrapped around her waist. She held up her arms as the fans aimed their cameras at her. She even went over to Layla and helped her beaten opponent back to her feet. Once again they shook hands.

"Congratulations," Layla said. Despite her exhaustion, she attempted a joke. "So now that you've won...are you going to Disneyland?"

"No," Victoria answered quietly. "I'm going to the hospital." She paused to swallow the lump in her throat. "I want to see Mickie."

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes:_** _Please review. _


	12. Chapter 12

After Victoria had showered and changed, it was Lance that drove her to the hospital. On the way, he gently asked if she wanted to talk about what happened in her final match. Which only confused Victoria.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

Some careful questioning on Lance's part caused Victoria to admit that she had no memory of anything that happened in the match after Layla had put the sleeper hold on her. He then told her of what he, and everyone else, had witnessed.

"But…but…no…" Victoria stammered. "I don't blackout Lance. I've never!"

"I've never known you to," he agreed. "And it's been a long time since you've had any…troubles…like the old days."

"I really went psycho in the ring?" she asked in a small voice, although deep down she already had the answer. She knew Lance wouldn't make up such a tale.

"You can review the tape later and see for yourself," he commented. "I'm sorry to bring this up…but I think it's important." He paused. "Maybe this was just a one-time thing. You've had a lot of pressure on you with helping to start the company up and training for the tournament at the same time. After going through a grueling night like tonight, with way more action than you've had to go through at a normal night of wrestling-"

"Yes," she chimed in, cutting him off. "Yes, that has to be it! This was just an…aberration. A one-time thing. I was exhausted and stressed and upset about Mickie. Anyone would go a little crazy after all that."

"Sounds logical to me." Lance paused. "But it's still something to keep in mind. You've been doing great for years now. I wouldn't want you to…" He trailed off.

"Turn into a lunatic again?" She shook her head. "Believe me, I have no intention of that. If anything like this happens again, I'll go to a professional…get help…whatever I need to do."

Lance was relieved to hear those words, though he hoped such steps wouldn't be necessary.

******'******

As Victoria approached Mickie's hospital room, she found she wasn't the first person to arrive. Melina was outside the door having a somewhat heated conversation with a nurse. Well, not so much a conversation…it was mostly the Latina giving the clearly intimidated health care worker quite an earful.

"What's wrong?" Victoria asked as she approached the two. When Melina turned her attention to her fellow wrestler, the nurse took the opportunity to retreat.

"The stupid people here don't listen to anyone and they can't read medical records apparently," Melina explained. "They gave Mickie more meds than she wanted. You know how she is about that, right?"

Victoria shook her head, confused. "What do you mean? Is she okay?"

Seeing the stricken look on the other woman's face, Melina switched to a more reassuring tone.

"No, she's going to be fine. I didn't mean to scare you. It's just that she always reacts sort of goofy to the meds. She always tells doctors to give her the minimum dosage. She's okay with a little pain as long as she can keep her head straight." Melina stopped and sighed. "But right now she's as high as a kite."

"Oh," was all Victoria said as she considered this information. "I was hoping to talk to her."

"That you can do. She's awake and all," Melina replied. "But don't expect her to make any sense...or remember anything afterwards. She always forgets things when she's hopped up on meds."

With that fact in mind, Victoria entered the hospital room.

******'******

Lance stayed in the waiting area. Though he was concerned for Mickie as well, he guessed that Victoria would prefer speaking to her in private. He passed the time chatting with Melina.

"So how did you know about Mickie's history with meds?" he asked.

"Found out about it back when we were both in developmental. We started out at the same time…with the same trainers. Since then, we've crossed paths so often that there's not much we don't know about each other." Melina laughed. "And somewhere along the line we actually became friends…though not without a few bumps here and there."

Lance nodded. "This business isn't very easy on friendships sometimes."

"Or on any kind of relationship," Melina replied. A conspiratorial gleam came into her eyes. "So…Victoria and Mickie? How much is going on with them? Let's compare notes."

"Hey, hold on. Compare notes? I'm not going to gossip about them."

"Who said anything about gossip?" The Latina asked dramatically. "I would NEVER do such a thing." She smirked. "But that doesn't mean we can't have a little friendly chat about them. Like how they've been spending so much time together leading up to the tournament."

Lance chuckled. "Don't act so innocent. You're trying to get me to gossip…and it's not going to work. From what I understand, Victoria and Mickie were training together."

"I think there's more than just training going on."

"If there is, and they want to let us know about it, that's their decision."

Melina clucked her tongue. "You're no fun."

Lance shrugged. "Just upholding my reputation as a boring guy."

As their conversation continued, they found themselves joined by two others. Gail Kim and Hamada had both been brought to the hospital for observation after the conclusion of their hard fought match. And though they were fine, they were both reluctantly spending the night there at the doctor's insistence. Upon hearing that Mickie had been brought in, they'd come down to check on her. Lance and Melina updated them on the situation.

But as they all talked together, it seemed to Melina that Lance had a slightly different demeanor than before. A little more animated perhaps. A little more…something.

And it didn't take her long to figure out that this change was most noticeable as he interacted with Hamada.

_Hmm…not quite the boring guy you claim to be, _Melina thought as she watched him. _And I don't think Hamada finds you boring in the least. _

******'******

Inside the hospital room Victoria approached Mickie's bed cautiously. In spite of what Melina had said, Mickie appeared to be asleep. Though this was disappointing, Victoria was glad to see the peaceful…almost cheerful…expression on Mickie's face. It was certainly better to focus on that rather than on the large cast that encased almost the entirety of Mickie's leg.

Wanting to talk but reluctant to disturb her, Victoria whispered the woman's name softly…ready to turn and leave if she got no response.

But Mickie's eyes flew open the moment Victoria spoke, and she greeted her visitor with a lopsided grin.

"Hey! You came to see me. That's so nice." Mickie's words were interspersed with lighthearted giggles. Clearly the medication was having no small effect on her.

"I'm sorry if I woke you," Victoria said slowly, somewhat put off by Mickie's giddy attitude.

"I wasn't sleeping," she countered. "I was just resting my eyes. Besides there was nothing nice to look at in this dumb room." She laughed and then winked at Victoria. "Until you got here."

"Um…okay." Victoria pulled a chair up to the side of Mickie's bed and sat down. "I suppose with the drugs you aren't feeling any pain."

Mickie shook her head. "Nope, I feel great…but I can't get out of bed." She began to pout. "Dumb leg!"

"I am so sorry," Victoria said in a heartfelt tone.

"For what?" came the childlike response.

Victoria raised a hand to her temple and tried to banish the building frustration she felt. Talking to Mickie in this state was not going to prove very productive.

"I'm sorry for what happened in our match tonight," she said slowly. "You do remember that, right? When you got hurt?"

"Well, how could I forget that?" Mickie rolled her eyes. "But why are you apologizing? It's not your fault."

"But I knocked over the ladder."

"It was a ladder match. That's what you're supposed to do." Mickie laughed. "I'd have knocked you off if you'd been up there."

"But your leg-"

"Was NOT your fault!" Mickie insisted. "It just happened."

Victoria paused. "Is this you talking or the drugs?"

Mickie giggled again. "A little of column A…a little of column B…either way, it's the truth."

"And you're not mad at me?"

"No," she answered. "I'm more than a little ticked at the ladder though. Bad ladder!"

Victoria smiled in spite of herself. Mickie's behavior may have been chemically induced…but she was so darn adorable in this state.

"And you know who's fault this really is?" Mickie went on. "Shawn Michaels!"

Victoria raised an eyebrow at the mention of the retired wrestling legend. "And how is this his fault?"

"Because if he and Scott Hall hadn't done the ladder match a million years ago at one of the _Wrestlemanias_…ladder matches would never have become popular. So you can see…this is clearly his fault. And Scott Hall's. I'm going to sue them both!"

Victoria couldn't help but laugh. "I don't think the case will get very far."

"You'll see," Mickie insisted. "I'm going to win!" She paused. "Hey, who won the tournament?"

Victoria informed her of the final results and Mickie let out a squeal of delight.

"You won! That's SO cool! I'm so happy for you! Oooh…and I guess I have to buy you that drink now."

Surprised that Mickie, in her current state could remember that long ago conversation about going out for drinks after the tournament, Victoria nevertheless found herself grinning.

"I think I'll buy the drinks anyway," she told Mickie. "Though not very many. If you react like this to medication, I'm betting you probably can't handle too much alcohol."

"Hey, I can handle anything!" Mickie countered.

"Oh really?" Victoria was clearly unconvinced.

"Absolutely!" But after a second Mickie seemed to question her own resolve…and then started giggling once again. "But if I'm wrong…I'd be okay with you getting me drunk and having your way with me."

Victoria sighed. "I wish you were in your right mind as you were saying this."

Mickie gave her a slightly more serious look. "I'm very much in my right mind."

They looked at one another for a moment, then Mickie reached up and caressed the side of the newly crowned champion's face.

"Kiss me," she said.

"Mickie, that's not a good-"

"Kiss me," she repeated. "Please."

And Victoria did.

******'******

Though the tournament had been concluded successfully and the fans in attendance had loved the action, the task of establishing the FWF was far from over. In fact it had barely even begun.

So even as various participants dealt with personal issues of all sorts, the work of building the new organization went on.

That one night of wrestling had produced enough material to produce four complete two-hour episodes (when interviews and other pre-taped pieces were edited in). In fact, they could easily have padded the footage out to fit twice as many episodes...but Jim Cornette was determined to cram as much wrestling action into each episode as possible. He viewed it as his personal mission to show the world (and the management of WWE and TNA) how a REAL wrestling show was done.

Of course, with four weeks worth of programming already produced, there was no hurry to start filming additional matches. They were all certain there would be another event before too long...but the length and frequency of future tapings would not be finalized until after the television executives saw how the debut episode was received.

And so the woman waited and trained and did their best to promote the company. Well, most of the women. Michelle McCool all but went into hiding. The only contact anyone in the company had with her were the obscenity-riddled phone conversations she'd had with Cornette. As it happened though, her absence was not a problem in the least. Her disruptive presence was not missed by the other wrestlers, and they didn't need additional participation from her to promote the organization. The news of her loss, and the humiliating aftermath, had already circulated around the world...and was certain to draw in many viewers.

Indeed, there was so much buzz about the tournament online that it seemed as if wrestling fans everywhere knew about the new organization. But whether that knowledge would result in huge ratings was more difficult to judge. There were more than a few naysayers predicting disaster. And some felt there was too much hype...more than the FWF could possibly live up to.

Those people were...in a word...WRONG!

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes:_** _Please review. It took me far longer to update than I would have liked…but I've had a rough month. _

_In the real world of wrestling, I urge EVERYONE to BOYCOTT TNA until further notice. The treatment of their women's division has been an absolute disgrace, and you can now add ODB to the list of wrestlers who have left the company. There is a rumor going around that they are trying to bring Victoria back. If so, I'd tune in…but until then…BOYCOTT TNA! _

_In happier news, Layla celebrated her birthday last month. The incredible author **SilverTurtle** wrote a wonderful LayCool story for the occasion. Check it out on **SilverTurtle's** profile page. (She has another LayCool story there as well…and a bunch of other great fics). _

_And the other half of LayCool? Well, it seems Michelle and her boyfriend made it legal last month…so congrats to the happy couple!_


	13. Chapter 13

There had long been a certain segment of wrestling fandom that clearly disdained women wrestlers. The attitude of these people had grown out of simple sexism mixed with a dose of misogyny, but over the years it had acquired a few mantras that seemed persuasive to some otherwise fairly reasonable souls.

_Women wrestlers just aren't that good! _This was their battle cry._ Women's matches are a waste of time. They're only good for bathroom breaks. _

Sadly this attitude was encouraged by some male wrestlers, even those who knew better. With television time being limited, everyone wanted as much a chance at the spotlight as possible. If the women could be viewed as not being 'worthy' of much airtime…there was less competition.

So for years the women wrestlers had been very limited in the amount of match time they had. And this fed into the belief that the women weren't up to par with their male counterparts. For while it was possible for two talented women to go out and have an impressive match that was only five minutes or less in length, it could be challenging. Throw in some additional factors, such as if one of the participants was a poorly trained model…or if it were a tag team or other type of group match…well, it was very hard for even the best women to show off their talents in such situations.

The infuriating thing was, the last 'good' period for women's wrestling had shown the wrestling industry the right way to do things. When Trish Stratus had been the top woman in the business, her popularity was such that fans wanted to see as much of her as they could get. As a result, matches featuring her were allowed extra time. This gave both her and her opponents more opportunity to show off just what they could do. And since her most frequent opponents were the likes of Victoria, Molly, Ivory and Mickie…the caliber of their wrestling matches was unquestionable. It was just a matter of giving the ladies a few minutes more.

A few more minutes…that was all that was needed.

And the FWF was going to give them so much more than that.

******'******

There had been quite a buzz online from the people that had attended the FWF tournament in person. Their praise for what they had seen had upped the curiosity factor for even the most skeptical wrestling fans. Many still thought a 'chick show' couldn't possibly be that good, but they were eager to check it out…if for no other reason to confirm that is was all empty hype. The reports of a few matches where the women had been stripped to their underwear also appealed to some. And the 'ridiculous claim' that Michelle McCool had been in a Hair Match and had her head shaved…well, many people felt the need to tune in to see what that was all about.

As such the premiere episode of the FWF television show had a sizable audience. And after it was over…

The Internet nearly broke down.

Before, there had been a buzz about the new organization…just from the few thousand that had seen the matches live. But now…after MILLIONS had gotten a taste of the FWF brand of action…there was pandemonium throughout the wrestling world.

Matches that went 20 minutes! 30 minutes! And they were GOOD!

Good wrestling…from WOMEN!

Jillian Hall, yes…JILLIAN HALL of all people…kicked serious ass!

Some people were rejoicing, some were incredulous…all were dying to see the next episode and confirm that this wasn't some kind of fluke.

A week later…when the next episode featured the Hamada/Gail Kim ladder match…the word 'fluke' was never mentioned again.

The FWF was an unqualified success after only two weeks. Skeptics disappeared. People from every corner of the country began searching for information about when and where the next taping would take place…and how to get tickets.

And it was more than just the American audience that had been blown away. Even before the first show had aired, there had been a level of interest from certain foreign markets about international broadcast rights. Japan especially, where women's wrestling had always been held in higher regard than in the United States, had seemed enthusiastic about the new organization.

But once their representatives had seen a sample of the product, enthusiasm gave way to full blown mania. All the major Japanese networks got into a bidding war that not even JBL had anticipated. By the time the dust had cleared…the final deal was worth so much that it exceeded ALL the start up costs for the organization. The FWF was still in its infancy as a company…but it was already in the black.

Still, success brought new pressures. For while the American television executives were very pleased with the ratings of the initial episodes, they thought they might do even better if the show made one major change.

They wanted the weekly show to be broadcast live.

******'******

While there were new challenges and pressures aplenty…one major player in the FWF saga was feeling very satisfied. Surprisingly so, given how complicated things had threatened to get for her the night of the tournament.

And yet, Victoria felt happier than she'd ever been. Why shouldn't she? She was the FWF Champion. The company she'd started was taking the world by storm. And her personal life…that was going very well indeed.

She'd been worried, desperately worried, after she'd visited Mickie in the hospital. She'd been sure their kiss, as wonderfully passionate as it may have been, had been a mistake. Mickie hadn't been in her right mind at the time and odds had been that she wouldn't remember anything about it the next day. Actually, that had been the best case scenario in Victoria's mind…for she had started to worry about how things might go if Mickie DID remember.

Mickie had been under the influence of medication when they'd kissed. After thinking about it, Victoria had realized that by kissing her she had been taking advantage of someone suffering from diminished capacity. Yes, they had just kissed…for a long while. It had actually turned into quite a steamy make out session. Victoria was sure that she shouldn't have let things go even that far. In her mind, Victoria had almost felt like she'd come close to committing date rape…and guilt had gnawed at her.

But when she saw Mickie again the next day, the perky brunette quickly dismissed that notion. As it happened, Mickie DID remember the kiss with perfect clarity. She'd remembered that she'd wanted it…she'd remembered that she'd demanded it…and she'd especially remembered that she'd loved how it felt.

Of course, she also remembered there had been pink, winged teddy bears flying around the room singing show tunes…but that part she was pretty sure was due to the meds. Making out with Victoria however was perfectly clear in her mind.

There were still concerns in Victoria's mind though. Was it wise to begin a relationship with a top flight competitor? Would there be tension between them when Mickie's leg was healed and she was ready to get back into the ring? But at the same time…when the two of them were together it all felt so right. Too right to let such worries dissuade her from pursuing her current course.

There was another worry on her mind as well, unrelated to Mickie. Victoria had watched and rewatched the footage of her championship match with Layla. Seeing the re-emergence of her Psycho-Diva persona was disturbing. She continued to tell herself it was a one-time only occurrence. An aberration that would never happen again.

Only time would tell if she was correct.

******'******

Live television did impose time constraints that the first FWF taping hadn't been subject to, but it was not something the FWF management couldn't handle. Jim Cornette had single-handedly produced wrestling shows for regional television stations in the past. Now with a much larger budget and no interference from office bureaucrats, he was able to pace the live shows so that the women still got plenty of wrestling time. It was actually easy to manage since he eschewed the fluff and filler that WWE and TNA indulged in and kept the focus on actual wrestling.

On the first live show, plenty of opportunities were given to the women who hadn't taken part in the tournament. All of them were eager to do their best…knowing they had a tough act to follow. Most all of them rose to the challenge admirably.

Molly found herself quite pleased with the way her first match in the FWF went. She'd been training hard and felt well-prepared, but it wasn't until she was actually in the ring for her first competitive match in years that she really knew whether or not she had lost a step.

She hadn't.

It was all the more enjoyable since her first match was with Josie Bynum. Josie was a skilled grappler but also a person who'd never been shy about her unending admiration for Molly. She viewed the more experienced grappler as a personal hero and role model and was thrilled to be in the ring with her idol. Their contest was an impressive display of technical wrestling and exemplary sportsmanship. It also set the pattern for how many of Molly's matches would go now that she'd returned to the ring.

Since she was not as yet campaigning for a title shot, Molly was usually matched against women who were lower on the totem pole when it came to championship contention. Some, like Josie, were quite talented but just hadn't reached the top tier of the sport yet. Others were green rookies or poorly trained models who had yet to prove if they truly belonged in the business. Most all of them looked at Molly with a bit of awe. Yes, they did their best to try and beat her when they stepped into the ring against her (something that none of them were able to do) but after the match was over, more often than not they'd approach Molly politely and ask a question or two about maneuvers she'd used against them. Molly enjoyed this, both for the respect she could sense from these women and for the chance to talk about wrestling as both a science and an art form…the very things that had drawn her to the sport in the first place.

Of course, not all the women were wise enough to take advantage of Molly's wisdom. Case in point…Lacey Von Erich.

The statuesque blonde found herself matched against Molly more than once…and was always easily routed. If she learned anything from her encounters with the former champion, it certainly didn't show. Finding her ridiculously easy to beat, Molly actually took it upon herself to try and give pointers to Lacey, rather than wait for the young woman to ask for help. But Lacey, who seemed quite good-natured and always thanked Molly for the advice, proved all but incapable of improving. What was worse, as her string of losses to Molly mounted, the blonde became determined to pick up a win against the woman and challenged her again and again. No bad blood developed between the two…but Molly did grow tired of the pointless encounters. So one fateful night she decided not to waste any time when it came to ending the match quickly.

The bell rang…Lacey charged…Molly side-stepped…but instead of going for a simple takedown or other basic maneuver, Molly grabbed the taller woman and hit a _Northern Lights Suplex_…it was the first and last move of the match, as Molly pinned her stunned opponent immediately.

"It's over?" JBL remarked from the announcer's table. "Wait a second, get me the time on this."

Ivory, equally surprised at how quickly the match ended, was thinking along the same lines as her partner. "Have we got a new record?"

"Damn it!" JBL yelled as he double checked with the timekeeper. "Seven Seconds! SEVEN seconds!"

"That's it," Ivory declared. "The shortest wrestling match in history. Beating a record that's stood since 1997."

"A record I set, damn it!" he complained. "I beat a man in eight seconds! That record should have stood forever!"

"Look at it this way," Ivory offered. "You still hold the record for the shortest men's wrestling match."

After news of the new record was announced to the audience, a chant broke out. "SEVEN SECONDS! SEVEN SECONDS!"

In the ring, Molly started to regret her decision to hurry things along. Because while Lacey may not have been very bright…she didn't have to be a genius to figure out the crowd was laughing at her. Fighting back tears, the blonde exited the ring and ran backstage. JBL and Ivory got a good view of her expression as she left.

"When's the next intermission coming up?" JBL asked.

"Just one more match before a break," Ivory answered.

"Good," the big cowboy answered. "I'm going to need to step out for a second when the time comes."

After the next match ended and the break began, JBL made his way back to the locker room area. He found Molly talking to Lance.

"Where's Lacey?" he asked.

"Over by the catering area," Lance answered. "We've been talking to her. She's upset."

"I would hope she is," JBL replied.

"I wasn't trying to embarrass her," Molly commented, but JBL cut her off before she could say anymore.

"You didn't do a damn thing wrong. You're supposed to go out there and win. That's what this job is all about." JBL turned and started toward the catering area. Lance attempted to stop him.

"This might not be a good time to talk to her," he advised.

"Hey, this is a talk that she's had coming for a long time," JBL responded. "If nobody else will give it to her, I will."

JBL turned to walk away once more. Lance started to follow but felt a hand on his arm. He looked back and saw Hamada had come to his side. She simply shook her head. He nodded in response. Then the two of them and Molly turned the opposite direction and walked away. They could all guess what was going to be said…and none felt a great desire to hear it.

"Lacey," JBL addressed her as he took a seat next to the woman. "You ever hear the phrase 'tough love'?"

"I think so," she answered with her usual child-like expression. She offered no further comment beyond that.

"Okay, well, keep in mind that what I'm going to tell you now might sound a bit unkind. But I'm saying it because…" he trailed off for a moment. "You know girl, we're both from Texas. And I am just old enough to remember what it was like back before you were born. Your family owned the whole damn state as far as wrestling was concerned."

A small smile appeared on Lacey's face. "My Daddy was the World Champion," she said brightly.

JBL sighed. "Yes…yes, he was. For a very short time. But the point is, I remember back then when someone said the name Von Erich…the first words that came to a person's mind were: Greatness. Glory. Excellence."

Lacey's smile widened.

"And because I'm old enough to remember that," he went on. "I'm old enough to remember what happened next. Three of your uncles and then your dad…four deaths, three by suicide. After that, when people said the name Von Erich, the only word that came to mind was...tragedy."

Lacey's smile vanished. "I never really knew any of them. Not even Daddy. I was too young." She swallowed. "But I want them to be proud of me."

JBL hesitated. Normally he had no trouble being blunt, but Lacey's puppy-dog like manner was difficult to deal with.

"I'm sure they are all proud of you already darlin'. And they'll be even prouder…as soon as you get out of this business."

"Huh?" Lacey responded with a clueless expression.

"I have watched the Von Erich name go from greatness to tragedy. But you're turning it into farce! You aren't cut out to be a wrestler. You've been at it for over three years and you aren't any better now than you were when you started…and you never even showed any sign of potential in the first place!"

"I've wrestled all over the world," she protested. "Lots of different promoters have hired me!"

"They hired you because you're five foot ten, you look like a model, and you've got a famous name. And no company that hired you kept you around very long, did they?"

"TNA," she offered.

"TNA is run by morons that make the WWE management team look like a bunch of damn geniuses," he countered.

Lacey bit her lip and looked ready to burst into tears. JBL softened his tone.

"Look darlin', you're trying to make your family proud, I get that. But this business destroyed your family. You don't have any obligation to try and carry on a legacy that's already dead and buried. You think your Daddy would want you to keep going out there in front of crowds that laugh at you? Or do you think he'd want you to go out and live a happy life? Find a job you're good at…or meet a nice guy…have a mess of kids…whatever. I'm sure there's something out there for you. But there isn't anything for you in wrestling."

Lacey still looked ready to cry, but there did seem to be a note of understanding in her eyes. "You're sure there's something out there for me?"

"I don't see why there wouldn't be," he replied. "But you aren't going to find it if you keep trying to be a wrestler." Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a business card. "If you don't have any ideas of your own on what to do, call my office next week. I'll have my secretary put together a list of possibilities for you. I'm sure you can be set up with some temp work while you try to decide on some long term plans."

Lacey took the card with a somewhat surprised look on her face. JBL got up to hurry back out to the announcing table, sensing the intermission was nearly over. But the young woman called after him.

"Why are you doing this for me?" she asked as she held up the business card.

A bit of wistfulness came to his expression. "Back when I was still a rookie, I had a match once with your Uncle Kevin. He was past his prime and still pretty tore up at having to bury all of his brothers, but…damn…being in the ring him…in Texas, no less…it was the first time I felt like I'd really made it in this business."

Satisfied with that explanation, Lacey voiced her thanks.

"Just keep quiet about it," the big cowboy responded with a smirk. "I've got a reputation to maintain and I don't want anyone going around thinking I'm a nice guy."

Lacey went on her way but when JBL turned back to make his exit, he was surprised to find Ivory standing in his path.

"Hate to break it to you, but I overheard just enough," she said. "So you are a nice guy? Who'd have figured?"

"What are you doing following me around?" he complained.

"Coming to make sure you'd get back before the break ended, dummy," she answered as they both hurried on their way. "This is live television, remember?"

"I was watching the time."

They made it to their table with a few moments to spare. Just enough time for Ivory to make a final comment.

"That was a good thing you did, John."

He looked over to her, but was unable to make a response before they had to resume broadcasting.

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes:_** _Well, this chapter was a little change of pace, throwing some spotlight on some different character for a bit as well as covering developments for the FWF as a whole. But don't worry, there's still plenty more to come with the other characters_.

_I chose Josette 'Josie' Bynum to be Molly's first opponent since she really is a big admirer of Molly. (In fact, it's hard to find an interview with Josie where she doesn't mention Molly). Josie is probably best known for her stint in TNA where she wrestled under the name Sojournor Bolt. _

_When I planned to have Molly beat Lacey in seven seconds, I thought the old record for shortest match was still nine seconds (set by King Kong Bundy at the very first **Wrestlemania**). But in the midst of writing this chapter, while double checking to see when JBL had wrestled Kevin Von Erich, I came across the fact that JBL had once scored an eight second victory. I figured he'd be a little annoyed that his record was broken. _

_The saga of the Von Erich family is one of the great cautionary tales of pro wrestling. At one time they were arguably the biggest stars in the business…and then, in a short amount of time, only one of them was still alive. On the positive side, Kevin Von Erich has gone on to lead a happy and successful life outside of wrestling. _

_But…all the tragedy in the world does not change the fact that Lacey Von Erich in so many ways epitomizes what is wrong with women's wrestling today. She is remarkably unskilled in the ring. She's not a good actress (though I will admit that she's improved from completely incompetent to only mostly incompetent in that regard) and yet she is afforded absolutely LAVISH amounts of TV time…time that could be used for many other women who are being denied a spot so that Lacey can have the job. What I don't understand is why some people defend her continued employment by pointing out that 'she's hot'. Yes, she is certainly attractive…but so are almost all the women in wrestling today. It's not like Lacey is on some other level of beauty than Layla or Melina or Mickie James or Gail Kim or dozens of other women who are beautiful but also have compelling personalities and great in-ring skills (both of which Lacey lacks). _

_(And while beauty is subjective...I personally think Victoria is one of the hottest women ever)._

_But now…please review. Did you enjoy this chapter's change of pace? Please don't be stingy with your feedback. Reviews help me write. _


	14. Chapter 14

Building on its spectacular start, it soon became apparent that the FWF was going to be more than a passing fad. Each week the ratings continued to climb and the acclaim for the new group continued to grow.

The stars of the promotion may have each had their own individual ambitions and agendas, but all were enjoying the fact that they were now part of a company that let them pursue those ambitions to the fullest. All of them felt they were entering the greatest phases of their careers under the FWF banner. None more so that the woman who stood atop the pinnacle of the organizations ladder of success.

Victoria awoke each morning to face life with eager anticipation. Every day seemed honestly better than the day before to her. She couldn't remember a time where she'd felt more satisfied. Her new relationship with Mickie was more fulfilling than all of her previous relationships combined. How could she have been acquainted with someone for years before realizing they were made for each other? That fact was driven home perfectly clear in Victoria's mind one afternoon when spending the day at Mickie's home.

******'******

"We cannot do that again," Victoria complained as she tried to shift to a position on the couch that took some of the discomfort from her inner thighs, but that only served to exacerbate the pain in her other sensitive areas. With all the aches and injuries she'd suffered over the years due to wrestling, she'd never have guessed that an afternoon of 'fun' with Mickie would have left her in such agony.

"Are you kidding?" Mickie protested, as she bounced around the room. She'd been more bouncy than usual since she'd gotten the cast removed from her leg. "I want another round right now! I love it. Come on," she gave her lover a charming half-smile. "You know you love it too."

"Mickie, please," Victoria pleaded. "My hips ache, my lower back is killing me, and…" she lowered her voice as a slight blush colored her face. "My ass just can't take it anymore."

The younger woman clucked her tongue but moved to the couch to join her partner. "Want me to kiss it and make it all better?" she asked in a suggestive tone.

Tempting though that idea was, Victoria was resistant. "Oh no. That's how we got started on this in the first place. You being all sweet just to get me to try something new. I'm on to you."

"Are you trying to tell me you didn't enjoy it?" Mickie asked. "For real?"

Victoria hesitated. Despite her discomfort, she couldn't say that it hadn't been fun. A lot of fun actually. She just hadn't anticipated the amount of physical punishment that would result.

"Ok," she finally admitted. "It was pretty cool. But until I get used to it we're going to have to allow me plenty of recovery time."

"So you will do it again?" Mickie asked excitedly.

"Yes," the older woman sighed. "I will go horseback riding with you again."

Her acquiescence was rewarded with a hug. The shifting of position on the couch caused more irritation to her sore hindquarters but the kiss that followed the hug more than made up for it.

Once Mickie had helped her get back into a comfortable state, Victoria changed the topic to how things were going with the exercises to help strengthen Mickie's leg.

"Very well. The doctors are impressed actually," the bubbly brunette answered. "They say I could be ready for an in-ring return in just another month at the rate I'm going."

"Wow, that is fast," Victoria noted.

"I wanted to talk to you about that actually," she replied with a suddenly more somber tone. "I've been thinking about it a lot and…well…"

The odd hesitation was something new from Mickie. Victoria grew more curious as she waited for her to finish, but was then shocked at her words.

"I was thinking about retiring from wrestling."

"What?" Victoria said. "Wait, excuse me…I meant, WHAT?"

"You don't think it's a good idea?" Mickie asked.

"How could it possibly be a good idea? The FWF is getting bigger everyday and you're in the prime of your career. After all those years of being jerked around there's finally a place for you to go out and really be your best. Why would you quit now?" Victoria paused as a worried look came to her face. "Is there something wrong? All the tests the doctors have been doing for your leg…did they find something else?"

"No, no," Mickie reassured her. "I've got a clean bill of health."

"Then why quit now?" Victoria repeated. "You've got a lot of good years left. You've got a real shot at beating Trish's record for the most championships. You and I are the only women active right now that have six title reigns, if either of us gets one more…" Her words trailed off as a new thought came to her mind. "Are you wanting to quit because of me?"

Mickie raised a hand to caress the larger woman's cheek. "You're such a great champion, and I've never seen you happier in your life. And I know I've never been happier than I am now with you. I want to be supporting you, not competing against you." Her next words came out softly, but seemed to fill the room all the same. "I love you."

Victoria was literally frozen for a moment, entirely unable to move. Then when she found the ability to lift her arms had been restored, she took hold of her lover and pulled her into a strong embrace…the horseback riding pains entirely ignored.

"I love you too, Mickie," she said. "With all my heart. And that's why there's no way you're quitting." She pushed Mickie back just enough so that she could look her in the eyes. "No belt is going to come between us. If we get in the ring against each other, no matter what happens, I'm still going to love you."

They talked a little further after that, but the truth was now clear to both of them. Mickie would continue on in her career and neither of them would have any problem facing the other. They knew this…because they knew they were in love.

And with this knowledge, the talk came to a halt in short order…and they spent the rest of the night doing things other than talking.

Though that didn't help Victoria's sore areas recover any quicker.

******'******

With her personal life in order, Victoria's professional life seemed to go on wonderfully as well.

As the World Champion, she was required to make at least one title defense every thirty days, but she was more than willing to take on challengers more frequently than that. As the new promotion went on, she quickly established a pattern of taking on top contenders every other week. Without exception the matches were top rate…which made each victory that much sweeter for Victoria.

There was something else she took note of during this time as well. Something she'd never felt in quite the same way before. The reaction from the fans.

Victoria had spent the majority of her career as a figure that fans were hostile towards. It was understandable, since she'd made her debut with the stated purpose of destroying the beloved Trish Stratus. She'd been a villain…a heel, in wrestling terms…in the fans' eyes from the start. Eventually, there had been a shift in attitude. Fans had recognized her determination if nothing else and started showing respect. And when Victoria's emotional issues had gotten under control and she'd become a generally more pleasant person, she'd even been the subject of the fans' affection.

But that was the past. What she got now every time she appeared in the Burke Arena was not affection.

It was worship.

Each time she got into the ring and showed she was deserving to hold the title…standing toe to toe with the very best and coming out on top…the fans took note. They cheered. They screamed. They chanted her name. They looked at her as she'd always wanted the world to look at her…they looked and they saw the best in the world.

In addition, with the FWF's rapid rise, the story of how it came to be founded was fairly common knowledge. The people knew that Victoria was in many ways responsible for what they were watching…for this resurgence in women's wrestling. And for this, they loved her. The homemade signs they carried to the arena started to take on a similar theme. They no longer read simply 'Victoria'. They read 'Queen Victoria', 'Queen of the FWF', or 'Queen of the Ring'.

_'Victoria, Queen of All Wrestling'. _

She loved it. She loved every second of it. And with all that positive emotion filling her entire being, she loved the fact that she'd never once, not even for a moment, felt even a trace of her 'Psycho-Diva' rage making itself known. Life was good. No…life was great.

So great that it didn't really bother her that there still felt like some small thing was missing.

******'******

While Victoria's amazing success was a huge story in the FWF, it was not the only one.

Fans noticed how Molly Holly was on an undefeated streak of her own that showed no signs of slowing down. Still, Molly continued to compete against the mid-card and lower level wrestlers, but her winning ways were impressive nonetheless.

Layla was doing nicely for herself as well. She'd racked up some impressive victories over other top contenders…and even some losses that gained her respect just the same. When Hamada returned from the injured list she faced Layla for her first match back…and the two put on a fifteen minute spectacle that once again confirmed the fact that Layla was a world class contender, even if she finally went down in defeat to the more experienced grappler.

But while Layla was enjoying developments in the ring, she had some slight worries backstage.

Despite all the time that had passed since the tournament, the British beauty still wasn't sure what to make of Beth Phoenix. The powerful blonde seemed to run into Layla quite often. She was always friendly, in her own unique way, but still not the easiest person to read. Layla simply couldn't get the idea out of her mind that Beth might have some designs on her. She tried to laugh off this notion, Beth never made any sort of pass at her or anything like that. But then…just when Layla had all but convinced herself she was imagining things, Beth would walk in on her in the locker room showers and take a spot next to her. And then there were all those times at the gym when she'd come over and offer training tips…well, actually those tips were very helpful. Still, it seemed to Layla that Beth was definitely paying a lot of attention to her.

******'******

Another huge development for the FWF was the crowning of its first Tag Team Champions. This tournament took place in stages over the course of many television broadcasts and offered plenty of action and intrigue. Experienced teams and brand new combos alike signed up for the tournament, but it soon became clear that there were two front runners for the gold.

Angelina Love reunited with old friend Velvet Sky to reform 'The Beautiful People'. At first this development was greeted with enthusiasm by the fans, but the love affair didn't last. While Angelina and Velvet were a stunningly effective duo and had a strong bond of friendship, they also tended to be a bad influence on each other. When their two well-developed egos started to interact, their confidence inevitably turned to arrogance and they were quick to be disdainful, and downright vicious, to anyone that faced them. They had no qualms about employing any and every underhanded tactic they could think of to secure victories…and many teams fell to their dirty tricks.

On the other hand, Natalya Neidhart and Taylor Wilde had never teamed before…but one would never know it from watching them in the ring. They were the perfect mix of power and speed, and both were fine wrestling technicians. Furthermore, the Canadian Taylor was thrilled to be teaming with a member of a family that was treated as a national treasure in the Great White North. In fact, she embarrassed herself thoroughly by squealing like a schoolgirl when Nattie informed her that she'd asked for and received the blessing of her family to use the team name her father and Uncle Bret had made famous. 'The Hart Foundation'.

Nattie assured her that she'd never tell anyone about the squealing as long as Taylor continued to wrestle well.

But on the day that was to be the final match for the gold, fans were robbed of a confrontation between the two teams. Taylor was found backstage in the locker room beaten nearly senseless. After making sure that she was given proper care and seeing her taken off by ambulance, an enraged Natalya had to be physically restrained from trying to tear 'The Beautiful People' apart.

"Calm down! I said, calm down!" Jim Cornette shouted repeatedly as he got between the security guards holding Nattie and the smirking, not-so-innocent looking Angelina and Velvet. "Before anyone gets killed or anything, I need to have the facts laid out." He paused. "Then maybe we can have some killings. But first things first."

Unfortunately, though the circumstances were as suspicious as the O.J. Simpson trial, there was no proof that 'The Beautiful People' had been responsible for the attack on Taylor. What was worse, the rules of the tournament said all eligible teams had to complete the tournament with the same members that had signed up at the beginning. Nattie couldn't name a replacement partner…though she was still willing to go out and face both the other women in a handicap match.

"No, I'm sorry," Cornette told her. "This is for the tag TEAM titles. Only a team can take part."

"Yeah, too bad," Angelina mocked.

"So sad," Velvet added before the two women turned and all but skipped out of the backstage area. They headed towards the ring where they would be awarded the titles by default.

But as an angry Natalya stalked off and prepared to go to the hospital to see Taylor, two other women approached Cornette. Two women who had recently decided to try and form a team of their own. They'd been too late to enter the tournament but had hoped to start working their way up for a title shot. Now, they saw an opportunity.

Cornette heard them out and, always being one who appreciated those who took initiative, started to smile.

******'******

In the ring, Angelina and Velvet were annoyingly self-congratulatory as they were handed the belts and announced as the first ever FWF Tag Team Champions. The crowd jeered and booed, only quieting when Cornette appeared at the top of the entrance ramp.

"Ladies, you have my congratulations," he announced. "While I don't think the fans appreciated not getting to see an actual match, I think it's fair to say you two make quite a pair."

If either woman noticed the sarcasm in his voice, they didn't show it.

"We're the best team in the world!" Angelina declared proudly.

"The best of all time!" Velvet added in her annoying, screechy voice.

"Well, since you two are that good a team," Cornette replied. "You will have no problem making your first title defense right here and now for all these good people in attendance tonight!"

The fans roared their approval even as 'The Beautiful People' began to protest.

"Looks like we've got a match after all," JBL commented from his seat at the announcer's table.

"But who are the challengers?" Ivory asked.

No sooner had she voiced the question than the song _Riot _by Three Days Grace began to play over the arena sound system.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Cornette shouted into his microphone. "The FWF is proud to introduce, for the first time anywhere, the newest tag team in professional wrestling. The RIOT GRRLZ!"

With that, two women emerged from the locker room and ran towards the ring. Both were dressed in similar styles, leather and plaid with mismatched accessories. Their fashion was a cross between punk and heavy metal…and since one of the women was known to be a fan of that type of music, she was the one everyone recognized first.

"It's Roxxi!" Ivory declared. "Roxxi is one half of this team! But who's her partner?"

JBL looked intently at the other girl. Her outfit was more elaborate and garish than Roxxi's, and her long blonde hair was permed wildly and had multi-colored streaks zig-zagged through it…but as she got closer to the ring, surprise registered in his eyes.

"Is that…it IS!" he shouted. "That's Jillian Hall!"

Angelina and Velvet were caught flat footed. Roxxi took them both down with a double clothesline the second she hit the ring. It was a satisfying moment for her, as she'd feuded with both women in the past. And when Jillian joined her, a full blown mismatch emerged.

Angelina and Roxxi were both world class competitors. Velvet on the other hand, while skilled, was not on the same level of the first two women. But Jillian most emphatically was. Together she and Roxxi had their way with the unprepared 'Beautiful People', much to the delight of the crowd.

Roxxi threw Angelina out of the ring and turned to her partner. "Keep her busy for me Jilly-bean!"

"You got it, Box o' Rox," came the reply. Jillian then raised her hands above her head and sang out a long single note. It was as off-key as ever, but the fans didn't complain for once. They could tell that Jillian was signaling that something of interest was about to happen.

After finishing the note, Jillian took off running towards the ropes and dove through them head first, nailing Angelina like a human missile.

"What the hell?" Ivory exclaimed. "What do you even call that? A combination suicide dive and spear?"

"That works for me," JBL answered. "Looks like it definitely worked for Jillian too!"

With Angelina occupied (being unconscious and all), Roxxi took her time in picking up Velvet and setting her up for a well-deserved _Barbie Crusher_. One three count later…and the 'Riot Grrlz' were the new Tag Team Champions.

The two celebrated excitedly in the ring, and it was easy for all onlookers to see that there was a true bond between the two…one that had sprung forth from their first encounter months earlier in the tournament for the FWF World Championship. While beating the hell out of one another was usually not a recommended method for forging a happy partnership…for Roxxi and Jillian it had seemed to work just fine.

******'******

Yes, the crowning of the tag team title holders was an exciting moment for the FWF. But there were bigger, even more exciting moments that were soon to follow.

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes:_** _Another chapter done. I hope this one was entertaining. The plot is moving forward and I'm feeling better about how close we are to the next shocking surprises…but what did you all think of this installment? Please review. _

_In real life, Mickie owns three horses and hopes to have a big farm full of horses in the future. I thought she and Victoria should go riding together at some point. I rather enjoyed how that scene played out. I hope you all did too. _

_I'd planned for the respect that Jillian and Roxxi earned from one another many chapters back to lead somewhere. This chapter saw that plan come to fruition._


	15. Chapter 15

The women of the FWF all became more determined to step up their game. The ultimate goal for most was to unseat Victoria as the World Champion…but the level of competition was so strong that many found it difficult just to reach the level of 'top contender'.

As a result, Lance found himself busier and busier each day. No longer did he have any concerns about the women not taking advantage of the company's training facility. Instead, he began to worry about how to accommodate all the different wrestlers who were asking him for extra help.

It was apparent that any one-on-one sessions with the wrestler would have to be discontinued. There just wasn't enough time to give the same amount of individual training to every woman who wanted it and the last thing Lance wanted to do was appear to be show any favoritism. Instead, there would have to be group seminars and classes. This would be a challenge…trying to work with groups made up of so many large egos and clashing personalities…but it would be possible, with some additional help.

Ivory was glad to lend a hand. She'd been working out in the training facility as much as any of the active wrestlers and was happy to share her experience with the younger women. JBL was also quick to volunteer. Like many athletes he'd been reluctant to retire, and being around so many high quality wrestlers filled him with nostalgia for his glory days. Of course, he claimed that the real reason he wanted to help was so that the ladies would get some quality instruction from a 'Wrestling God' and not have to 'settle' for Lance.

With three high quality trainers the women could be divided into groups of wrestlers that could peacefully co-exist with one another, at least for the length of a training session. Each group would rotate to different trainers at different times so that all the women would get the benefit of what each veteran had to offer.

But with that all taken care of Lance found himself rather reluctant to make one change that this new system would require.

******'******

"Great job, Ayako," Lance said as she performed a moonsault off the top rope and landed on the padded dummy laid out in the practice ring. As usual, her execution of the maneuver was flawless. She really didn't need the kind of personal training sessions Lance had been giving her. Lance figured if he kept concentrating on that fact, it would make what he had to say easier.

With the practice session ending, Lance informed the woman about the changes that were going to be instituted in how the wrestlers would be trained…and how this would mean there would be no more individual sessions. Hamada's expression showed no great turmoil at this news, though her slight, pleasant smile faded into a neutral line.

"The truth is, there's not a lot I can teach you that you don't already know," Lance went on. "I almost feel like I've been wasting your time. We could have stopped these individual lessons for you a long time ago."

"I like lessons with you," Hamada said simply. Her English was still limited but had improved a noticeable amount over the past couple of months as she'd been training with Lance.

"Well…I like them too," he responded. The smallest hint of embarrassment crept into his tone, "That's probably why I've kept them going for so long. But I shouldn't have."

They were both silent for a bit after that. A silence that began to stretch until if felt awkward. Hamada's expression was still almost entirely neutral, but Lance got the feeling she was waiting for him to say something more. He was at a loss.

"The new system will work out great for everyone," he finally said. He held his hand to her in a friendly but somewhat formal manner. "But I did want to say it's been great working with you like this."

Hamada raised an eyebrow as emotion briefly flashed in her eyes, but she was back to her neutral expression too quickly for Lance to properly judge her feelings. She slowly took his hand and shook it, then turned and began walking away.

Lance felt an odd bit of disappointment as she started to leave, but didn't have time to dwell on it when she suddenly turned back and marched toward him. Her expression was now clearly not neutral. She looked annoyed.

"Why you so dumb?" she asked as she smacked him on the arm.

"Wait…What?" he asked as he tried not to show any pain. Hamada hadn't exactly been gentle with her smack.

"All this time…and you never ask for date," she complained.

Lance's eyes widened. "I...you…date?" he trailed off as his embarrassment continued to grow. "I…didn't think you'd be interested."

The woman was clearly exasperated now. "I very interested. But you never make move!"

"Why didn't you let me know?" Lance countered, though he felt rather lame in asking the question.

Hamada put her hands on her hips. "I traditional lady. You supposed to court me."

The fact that she looked so unspeakably cute in her anger at the moment was enough to help Lance push down his embarrassment and try to salvage the situation.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm afraid I'm not that smart when it comes to…courting."

"That obvious," she commented.

"But for you," he said, trying to sound more confident. "I'd really like to try. If you'd give me another chance…you don't know how happy that would make me."

Hamada's small smile reappeared. "You get one more chance."

"Great," Lance responded. "How about we go to dinner and-"

He was caught off when Hamada grabbed him and pulled him towards her. She crushed her lips to his and gave him a kiss that was enough to make his head spin.

"I-I thought you were…a traditional lady," he said when he regained the power of speech.

"Traditional lady who need to make up for lost time," she replied as her small smile took on a distinctly devilish appearance. She kissed him again and then asked, "You pick me up at seven…for dinner?"

Lance was more than happy to agree.

******'******

The new training system worked well for all involved. Ivory, Lance and JBL all had vast knowledge to share, but they each had their own perspective on how to maximize strengths and compensate for weaknesses in the ring. Exposure to the ideas of all three was beneficial to all the women on the roster.

Layla, who had already been improving by leaps and bounds, thrived under the new methods of instruction. She was certainly a top pupil out of her group. A group that, as fate would have it, included Beth Phoenix. Layla was still unsure of Beth's exact feelings towards her, but was able to put such thoughts out of her mind by concentrating on her training. In fact, she ended up often being paired against the far more powerful woman in sparring matches and began to focus much more on how to defeat Beth, rather than worry if the blonde was attracted to her. The friendly contests actually made Layla far more comfortable around the other woman. For while their practice matches became fiercely competitive Beth remained quite pleasant to Layla and seemed to grow more and more respectful. This was especially evident after a particularly impressive sparring session.

******'******

Layla was covered in a sheen of perspiration and had to take a moment to brush aside the damp hair that had fallen into her eyes. But despite all the exertions she'd gone through for the last twenty minutes, she felt positively energized.

The reason for this was apparent as she looked over at Beth, She could see that the mighty blonde was equally sweaty…and maybe just a bit worn down. Worn down from the hit and run tactics Layla had been employing throughout this practice bout. The British beauty became excited at the idea of scoring a victory over such a formidable foe and decided to go for broke.

Beth tried to counter Layla's charge with a clothesline, but Layla ducked under the swing and hit Beth with the _Lay-Out. _She covered Beth for an attempted pin, but Ivory (who was overseeing this sparring match) counted two before Beth managed to raise a shoulder. Not wanting to give her a chance to get back on her feet, Layla locked on a sleeper hold while Beth was still on the mat. The blonde struggled to rise but Layla wrapped her legs around her in a body scissors to hamper her movement. Though she was applying the hold as tightly as she could, Layla was still shocked at what happened after a minute or so of Beth's struggles.

"Aw hell," Beth mumbled. "You got me." The blonde then tapped the mat in a gesture of surrender.

Layla felt absolutely giddy for a moment after being declared the victor. Part of her mind told her that this was only a sparring session, that Beth would have fought harder if this had been an actual match, but still…making Beth submit felt like an amazing accomplishment.

"Great match you two," Ivory told them. "I took a few notes on some things both of you should keep in mind, but we'll save that for the next training session. You two deserve a break after that workout. Hit the showers."

After thanking Ivory, the two walked back to the locker room. Layla asked the larger woman a question as they stepped inside.

"I know I'm giving you the perfect opportunity to make excuses," she began. "But truthfully…did I really have you back there?"

Beth shot her a somewhat arrogant look and began to reply, but her expression softened and her cheeks reddened slightly before she could get the first word out. She let out a small chuckle.

"Yeah," she answered sheepishly. "You really did. I realized I wasn't going to get back to my feet and then I felt myself going out, so I tapped. I wasn't going to let anyone see me unconscious."

Layla's smile grew so wide it threatened to split her face. Beth took no offense at the other woman's expression and merely chuckled once more.

"Don't expect it to ever happen again," the blonde said. "I'll be ready for you if you try that in a real match."

"I don't know," Layla countered. "I think I've got your number."

"You just keep thinking that," Beth joked as she gave Layla a pat on the head.

The two continued the friendly banter as they took of their gear and headed for the showers. When they did so, Layla failed to notice a subtle change.

In the past, Layla had been aware the Beth would often choose a spot close to her when they were both in the showers together.

This time, it was Layla who chose a spot near Beth.

******'******

Victoria chalked up win after win in title defenses that never failed to entertain the crowd. Her popularity continued to grow. She was a happy woman.

But she wondered sometimes...wondered about the odd uncertainty that seemed to crop up ever so slightly, even when she felt on top of the world.

With every match and every victory she felt a certain…validation. She'd never wrestled better in her life…she'd never been in better shape in her life.

But still, she was the oldest woman on the active roster. Indeed, except for Ivory, she was the oldest woman in the entire company. She didn't feel old in the least but as an athlete with her fortieth birthday looming she had to think about the fact that she was closer to the end of her career than her beginning.

She was proud of everything she'd accomplished, and to be able to enjoy the kind of acclaim she had now was incredibly gratifying. Yet, there was still some elusive quality that seemed to be missing. She had no idea what it was, but she knew she had to find it in order to feel completely satisfied.

Why couldn't she figure it out?

******'******

The latest title defense was against Melissa Anderson. The challenger had been on quite a tear lately and was looking to capture gold.

When Melissa had first debuted in the sport some years earlier, many fans and pundits had immediately dubbed her the 'next Victoria'. The moniker may have been started somewhat lazily as both women were of similar height, similar builds and both had long dark hair…but if one looked beyond the superficial, the comparison was certainly apt. Both women were physically gifted and remarkably skilled. Both had the kind of drive required to perform at the highest level.

Melissa had always regarded the comparison as a compliment. In truth, Victoria had found it equally complimentary.

But her respect for the younger woman's ability was not going to stop her from keeping the title out of Melissa's hands.

The battle between the two started strong and only continued to build in intensity. The crowd was into it and the announcers called the action with their usual style and flair. Victoria was in top form, but Melissa gave as good as she got. The match went back and forth with neither woman able to show a clear advantage over the other for long.

The ending came suddenly. Victoria gave her a kick to the gut that doubled Melissa over. The champion seized the opportunity to grab Melissa and lift her over her shoulders to set up a _Widow's Peak_. Melissa was still aware enough to realize her predicament and went for the counter she'd prepared for such an eventuality. While Victoria had Melissa up, the younger woman kicked her legs furiously to shift their balance. Victoria couldn't keep her in the air and Melissa got her feet back on the mat. With them standing back to back, it was the perfect position to execute one of Melissa's favorite moves, the _Kudo Driver_. Victoria found herself flipped into the air, only to be caught by her opponent and sent head first to the mat with a perfectly executed piledriver.

"That was devastating!" Ivory cried out in shock even as Melissa went for a pin.

The referee counted and the crowd erupted when the man's hand hit the mat for the third time.

"New Champion!" JBL exclaimed. "Melissa is the new World Champion!"

It was a shocking, historic moment, and the fans cheered wildly. It wasn't due to any lack of respect for Victoria, but rather to acknowledge the amazing performance they'd just seen. There were none present who could argue that Melissa hadn't earned this victory. Thus, as the dazed former champion struggled to her feet and leaned heavily in the corner of the ring, Victoria could hear everyone chanting Melissa's nickname.

"FUTURE LEGEND! FUTURE LEGEND!"

And the newly crowned champion, who had tears in her eyes as the title belt was handed to her, called for a ringside worker to hand her a microphone.

"Thank you!" she cried out to the chanting fans. "Thank you…but…that name doesn't apply anymore!"

The chant halted as Melissa raised the belt high with one hand. "With this title in my hand…it can only mean one thing," she declared proudly. "THE FUTURE IS NOW!"

And as the fans continued to cheer, Victoria quietly exited the ring and walked back to the locker room.

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes:_** _Victoria has been dethroned! Does this mean her time at the top is done? How will she react and what will it mean for the rest of the FWF? Also, are Lance and Hamada too cute or what? Plus, what's the deal with Layla and Beth? Why am I the one asking all these questions? Let me hear your questions and feedback instead. Please review. _


	16. Chapter 16

Mickie made her way through the backstage area to Victoria's dressing room. She cursed the fact that she'd been watching that evening's matches from the VIP seating on the other side of the arena. If it hadn't been for that, she could have gotten back to the locker room much quicker, perhaps even beaten Victoria to her dressing room and been waiting to comfort her.

She was preparing an apology for not arriving sooner even as she stepped into the room, but her words died in her throat. Because when Mickie entered the room she found Victoria…smiling.

"Hey sexy," the newly dethroned champion called out in a playful tone. She was wearing a bathrobe and using a towel to dry her hair, obviously having just exited the shower. "Too bad you weren't a little quicker…you might have caught me without my robe on."

Mickie was unprepared for this. She had been steeling herself to find her lover enraged or dejected…anything but happy.

"Well, uh, maybe I can talk you out of that robe a little later," she finally replied, though her attempt at saucy banter was mediocre at best. She was too surprised at Victoria's attitude. "Are you okay?"

The taller woman nodded as she wrapped the towel around her head like a makeshift turban. "I'm fine. Don't worry."

Mickie went to her side and then wordlessly guided her to a bench. They sat down next to one another and Mickie studied Victoria's face closely as their conversation resumed.

"I'm sorry you lost the title," she said.

Victoria expression turned serious, but still she showed no signs of being upset. "Thank you. It's alright though."

"Okay, I'm sorry…but you're freaking me out a little." Mickie took hold of her lover's hand. "When we were back in WWE, I sometimes saw you throw fits over losing regular matches. But now after your first loss since the FWF started…losing your championship…you're Miss Mellow all of a sudden?"

Victoria actually let out a soft chuckle. "When you put it that way, yeah, I can see where this must seem a little freakish." She raised Mickie's hand up so she could plant an affectionate kiss on her knuckles. "At first I was too stunned for it to all register…which I think is understandable. Melissa did drop me on my head after all."

"So, you're completely delirious and probably should get to a hospital right away," Mickie deadpanned, though there was a definite note of worry underneath her humor.

Victoria's chuckle gave way to a full blown laugh. "No I don't think that will be necessary. I don't even have a headache. I will have the on-site doc give me a once over out before we leave though."

Mickie was relieved to hear this and let Victoria continue to explain her lack of anger.

"I was back here in the dressing room before it really started to sink in. For a second I was ready to scream, but I took a few deep breaths and thought about it calmly." She smiled. "It was a good match. Could have gone either way. If Melissa hadn't been able to counter my _Widow's Peak_ attempt, I might have pinned her right then. So I know I can take her in the rematch."

Mickie nodded in agreement. "It's good to see you being so positive."

"There's a lot to be positive about." Victoria's smile widened and her tone became more enthusiastic. "Because I am going to beat her in the rematch. I'm going to get the belt back. And you know what that means?"

At first Mickie was unsure of what her lover was driving at, but then Victoria held up both her hands. One hand had all five fingers spread wide while the other hand was holding up only two.

"Number seven," Mickie said in a soft tone. Now she understood the other woman's mindset. If Victoria regained the title it would be her seventh reign as a World Champion. A milestone that only one other woman in history had reached. "You'll be tied with Trish."

"Which will put me that much closer to breaking her record." Victoria's smile was nothing short of predatory now. "Yeah, that's why I'm not broken up over this loss. It's for the best. Heck, it needed to happen."

Mickie put her arms around the taller woman and pulled her into an embrace. "You're going to do it," she said in a supportive tone.

Victoria relaxed in her lover's arms and leaned against her. "You've got that right."

******'******

Some phone calls were made the next day. There was no question that Victoria was entitled to a rematch, but there were some details that needed ironing out. Fortunately there were no troublesome negotiations. Melissa intended to be a fighting champion and didn't balk when Jim Cornette informed her that Victoria wanted to exercise her rematch rights immediately. It was decided that the next week's television show would have Melissa address the fans for the first time as the new champion, and then Cornette would announce that her first title defense would be the week after against Victoria. This was an arrangement all parties were happy with.

None of them had any idea of the complications that would arise.

******'******

One week after Victoria had lost her title, the next FWF broadcast was running smoothly. There were many fans in attendance that were carrying homemade 'Melissa Legend' signs…and JBL had made some quick phone calls to make sure that that name was copyrighted at once so that Melissa could use that as her official ring name if she so chose.

Seated with Mickie in the VIP section, Victoria wasn't bothered by the show of support for the woman who'd defeated her. Melissa had earned this much. Besides, there were still many 'Queen Victoria' signs out in the fans' hands as well.

She anticipated there being even more in a week's time when the fans would see her regain the title. But for now, Melissa could have her chance to shine.

******'******

Melissa was in the ring with Christy Hemme, giving her first interview as Champion. She spoke with pride about the journey her career had taken and how grateful she was to be in the FWF…an organization that had enabled her and all the other women who took wrestling seriously to be able to compete at the highest level.

But her heartfelt words were cut short when some unexpected music started playing over the loudspeakers. A theme song that hadn't been heard in the Burke arena since the FWF's very first live event months ago.

Mickie turned to Victoria with a look of outrage on her face. "That's Michelle's music!"

Even as Mickie blurted that out, JBL and Ivory were making a similar observation down at the announcer's table.

"Typical," Ivory complained. "After being gone for so long she decides to butt in on someone else's time when she makes her return."

Michelle appeared at the top of the aisle that led to the ring, looking smug and confident…and a bit different that the last time she'd appeared in front of an FWF audience.

"How'd her hair grow back so fast?" JBL asked as he observed the long golden locks that reached down well past Michelle's shoulders.

Ivory rolled her eyes. "They're called hair extensions. Though I have to admit those look very well done. She must have paid a lot for them."

"Well, judging from the look on Melissa's face," JBL went on, "our new Champion is more than willing to start ripping those extensions right out of Michelle's scalp."

As the music died down, the unwelcome intruder held up a microphone to address the Champion in the ring as well as the audience.

"Melissa," she said in a ridiculously condescending tone. "I am SO happy to see you as the new FWF Champion. It is really hard to believe…especially since the last time I saw you in the ring it was when I beat you in less than a minute."

The audience jeered at the blonde, but Melissa grabbed Christy Hemme's microphone and motioned for the interviewer to exit the ring.

"Yeah," Melissa replied angrily. "I remember that match. I also remember the last time everyone saw you in the ring that night...having your head shaved bald!"

The audience laughed and started chanting: "BALDY!" Michelle frowned and made a point to run a hand through her long, mostly artificial, tresses.

"That was then," McCool shot back. "And as good as I was back then, I'm even better now!" She paused. "And I suppose you must be a little better yourself Melissa. After all, you are the champ now." She started walking leisurely towards the ring. "But still, I bet I could beat you again with little trouble. I could take the title from you in…oh, it probably wouldn't even take me five minutes."

In the VIP section, Victoria let out a few choice profanities.

"She's not going to fall for this?" she asked aloud to nobody in particular. "Melissa's got to see that Michelle is trying to goad her into taking a match!"

In fact, Melissa was quite cognizant of McCool's ploy. It was hardly subtle. But Melissa was also quite taken with the idea of getting her hands on Michelle and giving her some proper payback for their last encounter.

"So that's your game?" the Champion laughed. "You want a shot at the title? Well, you don't deserve one. But, you did say the word…bet. And that gives me an idea. I'll give you a match. I'll give you a FIVE minute match. If you can beat me that quickly…then you deserve to have the belt."

Michelle started to grin.

"But if you can't beat me in five minutes," Melissa continued. "Then I say the fans here tonight are going to see the same thing that happened months ago. They're going to see you shaved bald!"

The audience erupted into wild cheers as Michelle started protesting.

Up in their seats, Mickie flashed a somewhat relieved smile to Victoria. "See…no problem. There's no way Michelle will go for those terms."

Victoria nodded in agreement, feeling more than a little relief herself.

But Michelle continued to try and negotiate. "Ten minutes!" she demanded.

"Five," Melissa replied. "Take it or just admit that you're a coward!"

The audience laughed and continued to jeer Michelle. The arrogant blonde was visibly fuming.

"Alright!" she cried out. "Let's get this straight. We have a match…five minute time limit. And if I don't beat you in that time," she took a long pause, "then I will sit down in the middle of the ring and let you shave my head!"

Melissa was surprised that Michelle seemed to be entertaining the idea. The crowd however was growing excited. It seemed like this match was going to happen.

"Then we have a deal?" Melissa asked.

"On one condition," the blonde countered. "I don't want you to run out of the ring and have the match thrown out on a technicality or something. If my hair's on the line and I only have five minutes…I want a falls-count-anywhere, Hardcore match!"

The Champion scoffed. "Hardcore? So you can use your brass knuckles again?"

"Well if you're so stupid that you'd let me catch you with the same trick as last time, that's your fault! Are you saying you're that dumb?"

Melissa's anger swelled. She knew Michelle didn't deserve a title shot after being gone from competition for so long…but the desire for revenge was strong. And the audience was excited for it. Even with the Hardcore stipulation, the time limit still favored Melissa by far.

"Get a ref out here!" Melissa yelled. "We've got a match!"

******'******

"What the hell is she doing?" Victoria almost screamed from her seat. She started to rise but Mickie held her in place.

"Calm down," she advised. "Melissa can handle this, I think."

"It's a Hardcore match! Michelle can cheat all she wants and it'll be legal!"

"But Melissa can do the same," Mickie countered. "And she'll be more wary of Michelle after what happened last time." She paused and let a hint of a smile come to her lips. "It's only five minutes. Five minutes and we get to watch that bitch go bald again."

Victoria considered the odds. Things really did seem stacked against McCool. She leaned back into her seat. "You may be right."

******'******

The referee made his way to the ring and the match officially started. Melissa was not going to simply go defensive for five minutes however. She launched herself at Michelle immediately and took her down to the mat…hard.

Taken by surprise, Michelle didn't even try to counter any attacks. She simply covered her face as Melissa straddled her and began raining blows down upon her. The audience went wild as the hated Michelle was all but helpless.

But after less than ten seconds of this, though the ordeal seemed a lot longer to Michelle, a new sound began to be heard above the crowd's cheering. It was more music being played through the arena sound system. It wasn't Michelle's music. In fact it wasn't a tune that had ever played in the Burke arena before. Nonetheless it was recognized by almost all wrestling fans.

Four strong notes dominated the tune, sounding much like the famous chords from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony…if it were being played in Hell.

Mickie and Victoria looked at each other in confusion. Similar sentiments passed between Ivory and JBL.

"That music," Ivory said. "Is that…?"

Her question didn't need to be finished. The answer was obvious when the large, some might even say mammoth, form of a much feared wrestler appeared and began walking down the aisle towards the ring.

"It is! It's her!" JBL declared. "AWESOME KONG is here! Kong is in the FWF!"

In the ring, Melissa took notice of the new arrival. Quickly she scrambled off of Michelle to face the more formidable foe.

"Kong's getting in the ring!" Ivory shouted in outrage.

"And there's nothing anyone can do about it," JBL went on. "There are no disqualifications for this match. Anything goes."

Melissa closed on the much larger woman while Kong was still stepping through the ropes. She threw hard, closed fisted punches to the woman's head…to little effect.

In point of fact, Melissa had faced Kong many times in the past. There had been a couple of encounters in TNA, but many, many more battles in Japan. Melissa was considered one of Kong's best opponents.

'Best' meaning that Melissa usually lasted more than two minutes before being destroyed by the monstrous woman.

But this encounter would not take two minutes. Despite her bravery, Melissa had not had any notion that she'd be facing Kong. She was unprepared…and it certainly didn't help when Michelle got back to her feet and gave Melissa a shove from behind. It was a pathetic excuse for an attack…but it did put the Champion off balance for a moment. Thus it was child's play for Kong to grab the woman and lift her high into the air for one of her dreaded finishing maneuvers.

"The _Awesome Bomb!_" Ivory called out and then looked on in disgust as Kong just stepped away from the fallen Champion and allowed Michelle to cover her. "This is total miscarriage of justice!"

"It's Michelle McCool," JBL responded. "What else do you expect?"

The referee had no choice but to count three. To her credit, Melissa actually attempted a weak kick out…but she was too dazed to shift Michelle's weight off of her.

And so, the entire arena, including a mortified Victoria and Mickie, had to watch as the belt was handed to Michelle McCool and she was announced as the new FWF World Champion.

But the worst was still to come.

"Wait," Ivory said as she watched Michelle and her large cohort exit the ring only to grab a folding chair and get back in. "What are they doing?"

The answer became obvious soon enough when they laid the chair down by the still dazed Melissa's right leg and unfolded it just enough to stick her leg into the chair.

"This isn't good," JBL said seriously.

"Somebody stop them!" Ivory cried out.

The referee tried to interject himself, but Michelle gave him a swift kick to his family jewels. Victoria and Mickie had both already left their seats, but were too far away to get to the ring in time.

Thus, there was nothing to stop Kong from leaping into the air only to land with both feet on top of the chair…crushing Melissa's leg between its metal sections.

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes: _**_Michelle is back and she has KONG with her! Poor Melissa has had her title reign ended and her leg broken. What will this new villainous duo try next? Please review. _

_In case anyone didn't know, Awesome Kong (Kia Stevens) is not a mute, inhuman monster in real life. She's quite popular with her co-workers and one of her very best friends is…Melissa. She portrayed Kong's manager in TNA, the character was Syrian woman named Raisha Saeed. Because the character always wore a hooded veil and clothing that covered her entire body, Melissa would sometimes appear on the same show as two different characters. At times she would even appear with Kong for interview segments and act as her spokeswoman, and then go change out of Arabic garb and wrestle **against** Kong a few minutes later. Now since wrestling is real in this story, Raisha is another person entirely and won't be appearing at all. Kong's new manager/spokeswoman is our beloved Michelle McCool. _

_Also note that I'm going to treat Kong's won/loss record much like TNA did. She was played up as an unstoppable monster who almost never lost a match. So in this story it's going to be 'official' that only four woman have ever beaten Kong. _


	17. Chapter 17

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't fire both your asses?" Jim Cornette demanded angrily.

Looking back at him from the other side of the man's desk, Michelle McCool calmly pointed at the championship belt around her waist.

"This seems like a good enough reason by itself," she said with an arrogant smile. "Firing your world champion? I didn't think they did that sort of thing back in the 'good ole days', Jimmy."

"Don't 'Jimmy' me you two-faced little…" he paused to take a breath and compose himself. "Cheating your way to a title does not give you a license to run rampant over this company like some escaped lunatic! You put one of our top stars out of action for months!"

"So Melissa is going to be gone for a while…big deal." Michelle replied. "I'm a much bigger star than she is. And so is Kong." She glanced to the large silent woman who stood beside her chair. "Featuring us on television is going to do way more for the company than Melissa ever could."

The fact that Michelle's argument had an element of truth in it only infuriated Cornette that much more. Yes, he had it in his power to strip her of the title and show her the door...but doing so would have some consequences. Unlike other sports, professional wrestling had always had a 'wild west' atmosphere. When it came to advancing their careers, every wrestler was basically able to try and get away with as much as they could. There were certain lines that could not be crossed, but individuals like Michelle had no qualms about stretching that line out as far as it could go.

And unfortunately, Michelle and Kong were both major stars. Firing them would not benefit the company. Especially not with Michelle as the title holder. Though there had been nothing fair about how she'd taken the belt, it was hers now. If she were stripped of the championship she could, and no doubt would, point out that she'd never lost it. That would tarnish the belt's reputation. Whoever next held it could be seen as a pretender to the throne…by some fans at least. And since one of Cornette's most dearly held tenants of wrestling was the importance of the World Championship, he didn't want even a single fan to question the title's legitimacy.

Still, he was not going to let McCool and her new henchwoman go without some punishment.

"Being the champion doesn't make you bulletproof, woman," he warned. "You and Kong are not going to pull any more crap like this, understand? And to show you I'm serious, you two are going to make a bit of history. I hope you have plenty of money saved up, because the amount I'm fining both of you is going to have you pretty much working for free for the next three months."

Kong remained silent as usual but scowled. Michelle was more vocal in her objections, but Cornette had little regard for what she had to say.

"Quit your bellyaching," he said dismissively. "You're lucky I'm being this easy on you."

Michelle stood up and glanced towards Kong before looking back at Cornette.

"You know, it's not a good idea to make me angry," she said in a dark tone. "And it's an even worse idea to upset Kong."

That was the cue for the larger woman to begin a slow, deliberate walk around Cornette's desk until she was standing right next to his chair, looking down at him with a threatening look in her eyes.

Both women were taken aback when he burst out laughing.

"You're trying to intimidate me? Seriously?" he asked.

"What? You think you can take Kong?" Michelle shot back in response.

"Of course not," Cornette said as he stood up to face the formidable woman nose to nose. "I have no doubt you could beat me like a red-headed stepchild. What you ladies fail to understand is just how many beatings I've taken in my career."

To the surprise of both women he raised his hands up to push Kong back from his personal space as he began an informal history lesson.

"I have had my ass kicked by Von Erichs, Funks, Harts and Briscos. I've been whupped by Samoans, Rock and Rollers, masked men, cowboys and mad Russians. I have been in all-out wars with the Horsemen and the Road Warriors…which is something I'm reminded off by the pain I feel every single time I have to bend this knee." He pointed down at one of his legs before continuing. "Do you honestly think you can deliver a worse beatdown than any I've already gotten? Well, you're welcome to try. Just be aware that after that I'll make sure you wind up working for free for a lot longer than a few months."

Seeing that Cornette was not going respond to threats, Michelle and Kong turned and left. They weren't happy about the hit their bank accounts were going to suffer…but this was a minor setback in the grand scheme of things. There would be plenty of rewards, financial and otherwise, once they'd cemented their place as the dominant force in the FWF.

******'******

The next day there was more activity within Cornette's office. The four co-owners of the company were gathered to discuss the new World Champion and her henchwoman. Ivory was also present, as was Mickie.

"So when the hell did Michelle and Kong join forces?" Ivory asked, but none could provide an answer.

"It never occurred to me that they could be working together," JBL admitted. "The paperwork came in from Kong's agent saying she wanted to sign with us at the same time that Michelle called and said she was ready to return to the roster…but I didn't see any connection. Far as I knew, they'd never even met."

"McCool must have taken a trip to Japan during her time off," Lance said. "I'm not sure how she convinced Kong to join forces with her though."

"Who can say?" Victoria put in. "Kong's always been a mystery. The only thing we know for sure is that she loves to hurt people."

"And that she's nearly unstoppable," Cornette added. "Her won-loss record is ridiculous. I think there are only three women in this entire hemisphere that have ever beaten her."

"Four," Lance corrected his friend. "Ayako had a few victories over her in Japan a few years back."

"Well, why don't you just sic your girlfriend on Kong and then maybe she won't be as much trouble," JBL said sarcastically. This of course led to some of the usual verbal sniping between he and Lance, but the others were quick to shut this down.

"Why don't you two wait until after we're done here before you regress back to grade school?" Cornette said. "Right now I want to talk business."

"So do I," Victoria spoke up. "I didn't get my rematch with Melissa. So I don't think it's out of line for me to have the first shot at Michelle."

"You are the number one contender," Cornette agreed.

"Which means Michelle will probably want to pull something against you before you can have a match," Mickie said. "I know how she works. And with Kong around to do her dirty work-"

Victoria cut her lover off. "Don't worry. Maybe Kong has only been beaten by four women, but don't forget…I'm one of them."

"Yes, and all you had to do was dive off the top of a steel cage to do it," Lance said in a serious tone. "That end of that match still gives me nightmares."

"Oh, stop worrying," she replied. "It's not like I'm the first wrestler to ever do that."

"No, but it was your first time attempting it," he went on, "and it was almost your last."

The six-time champion rolled her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic."

"No, I'm going to have to agree," Ivory chimed in. "If you'd gone for a flying crossbody from the top that would have been one thing. Or maybe a missile dropkick or even a moonsault…that would have made sense. But a _Thesz Press _from the top of the cage? Seriously? What were you thinking?"

"Did I win the match or not?" Victoria responded with a hint of exasperation. "And did I have to go to the hospital or anything afterwards? No. I was fine."

Mickie leaned in close to her lover and spoke in a soft tone. "Just never do that again. Okay?"

"Hey, it's not even an issue," she replied as she gave Mickie's hand a comforting squeeze. "I'm going to be wrestling Michelle, not Kong. And it's not going to be a cage match." Victoria then turned her attention to Jim Cornette. "So when do I get my title shot? Next week?"

"No, let's put it off one more week," he answered. "It'll give you more time to train. And I've got a surprise planned for next week's show already. We don't want it to take any focus away from your title shot."

Waiting an additional week was not a problem to Victoria. She was anxious to win the belt back, but more training time was never a bad thing.

She was curious however, about the upcoming surprise.

******'******

When she was informed that her first title defense would be against Victoria, Michelle was not happy. When Cornette went on to explain that if she or Kong had any altercations with the number one contender before the date of the title defense there would be hell to pay and more hefty fines, her anger only increased.

Anger such as that needed an outlet. And seeing as how Michelle had a number of scores she wanted to settle anyway, she thought she'd start with a big one at the next television taping.

******'******

Layla had the opening match that night, and the crowd cheered her wildly as she picked up a decisive victory over a clearly outmatched Eve Torres. As the still groggy Eve made her exit from the ring, trying to shake off the effects of Layla's sleeper hold, Layla stayed behind to enjoy a few moments more of the audience's adulation.

That was when Michelle's theme music started to play.

The new World Champion appeared with microphone in hand and strolled casually down to ringside.

"Congratulations Layla!" she said in a clearly mocking tone. "My goodness, you are just so impressive. What a great wrestler you've become." She climbed onto the ring apron and then stepped through the ropes to face her former lackey. "I remember back when you weren't good for much more than carrying my bags."

Familiar with the kinds of mind games that Michelle liked to employ, Layla remained calm and affected an insincere smile of her own.

"Yes, I remember that too," she replied. "The problem back then was that I had an absolutely horrible mentor. I mean seriously, that woman was a total washout." She paused and acted as if she were suddenly recalling an important fact. "Oh wait…that was you, wasn't it?"

"Oh you are so funny," Michelle shot back. "But let's face facts Lay, no matter what little success you've achieved, you're still nothing compared to me." She used one hand to pat the title belt around her waist. "I am the World Champion after all. That's something you will never be."

"I wouldn't be so sure Michelle," Layla said with a twinkle in her eye. "All I'd need to do would be to beat you, and I think everyone here knows I can do that." Her grin turned a bit wicked. "Speaking of which…love your hair."

Michelle's eyes showed a tiny flash of anger at the reference to the humiliating Hair Match loss, but she continued on in the same sarcastic tone.

"That's it. Go on and brag about getting a fluke win using some cheap, dirty tricks."

"You're not a person who should scoff at dirty tricks," Layla laughed. "That's your bread and butter."

"Hmm…maybe you're right," Michelle said as she began oddly stomping her foot a few times on the ring mat. "I do come up with some sneaky tactics from time to time."

It was then that the audience at one side of the ring began to notice something odd, what they saw soon became evident as McCool finished speaking.

"Like for example, did you hear about the time I had my partner hide sneak out and hide under the ring before the show started?"

That was when Layla heard the audience shouting and saw Awesome Kong, who had indeed emerged from underneath the ring, step through the ropes.

"I don't believe this!" Ivory exclaimed from her seat at the announcer's table. "This whole thing has been a set up!"

"Layla is in deep trouble now," JBL added. "She's a fighter…but against Kong? This does not look good."

Finding herself trapped between Michelle and a monster, Layla reluctantly had to concede that retreat was her best option. But the other two women were quick to move and block her path no matter which way she tried to turn.

The crowd tried to shout encouragement to Layla but she couldn't afford to listen as she concentrated on keeping out of her foes' grasps. Thus it was understandable that she didn't hear the excited cheer that broke out as a blonde figure ran down the aisle towards the ring.

"What? Who's that?" JBL asked as he spotted the newcomer.

"It's Beth Phoenix!" Ivory answered excitedly.

Distracted by the new arrival, Michelle and Kong hesitated, allowing Layla to get out from between them. Then there were two duos facing off against one another. The crowd continued to cheer…but then all at once quieted. The excitement at Layla's rescue faded as everyone suddenly realized what they were seeing.

Awesome Kong and Beth Phoenix…standing across the ring from one another...face to face…for the first time ever.

The moment of quiet awe stretched on for a few long seconds…and then the crowd erupted once again, louder than before.

"Do you feel this?" Ivory asked her broadcast partner. "Do you FEEL this? We are on the verge of history here!"

"The irresistible force, the immovable object," JBL responded. "Once in a great while the living embodiment of those two ideas will collide in the wrestling ring. Twenty-three years ago it was Hulk Hogan facing Andre the Giant. Now it's Beth Phoenix and Awesome Kong!"

"But Kong, unlike Andre back then, is still in the prime of her career," Ivory pointed out. "She's not hampered by age or injuries!"

"And Beth, unlike Hogan," JBL added, "actually knows how to wrestle!"

Ivory let out a quick laugh at her partner's crack, but was too focused on the drama in the ring to joke back.

Michelle and Layla both had taken a step back from the other two women as Kong and Phoenix locked gazes with one another. It was somewhat disconcerting to see Beth look so small in the ring, as Kong dwarfed the blonde bombshell. The larger woman also had more of an air of invincibility, for while Beth was without question one of the top women in the business…she had been defeated more times in her career than Kong.

But still, there was something that everyone in the arena could sense when they looked at Beth at this moment. The fire in her eyes. The way every fiber of her being seemed to be all but vibrating with excitement. There was no fear in Beth Phoenix. No doubt. There was only one thing she was projecting…an overwhelming NEED.

The need to prove just who was the most physically powerful woman in the history of professional wrestling.

But just as it seemed that the two warriors were going to collide, Michelle took hold of Kong's arm and urged her to retreat from the ring. The audience was quite vocal in its displeasure as the two villains slowly backed off and made their exit. Michelle however wasn't concerned with what the crowd wanted. While she had every confidence in Kong's overwhelming force, she didn't particularly feel like facing Beth and Layla in a fair fight at this time. No, they'd both be dealt with at a time of Michelle's choosing…and not before.

******'******

After all the excitement had died down, Beth and Layla had made their way backstage

"Thanks for playing the cavalry for me out there," the British beauty told her friend. "I was a bit worried for a second."

"Hey, I've always got your back," the powerful blonde replied in an attempt to sound casual. Nonetheless, there was a certain serious look in her eyes that Layla didn't miss. "Always."

Layla was silent for a moment as a number of thoughts bounced back and forth through her mind. For a while now she'd been aware that there was something different about her friendship with Beth…something that she'd not experienced before. She had felt more than a little anxiety about it in the past, as Layla had never doubted her own sexual orientation before. So how had she gone from being concerned that Beth had romantic designs on her to feeling what she was feeling now?

"Yo, Lay," Beth called out to her. Layla realized she'd been lost in thought and had paused outside the dressing room door instead of going inside. Beth was standing in the doorway looking at her. "Something wrong?"

"Um…no," she answered as she hurried into the room. "I was just…uh…I was thinking…that is…"

As Layla stammered Beth simply stood and looked at her in puzzlement. Finally Layla stopped trying to put her thoughts into words.

"Oh, to hell with it," she said as she stepped closer, threw her arms around the blonde's neck, and swiftly pressed her lips to Beth's.

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes: _**_There you have it...a Layla/Beth kiss. Where will it lead? Also, the first ever face to face encounter between Beth Phoenix and Awesome Kong. (A dream match that fans have wanted for years now…and yet WWE has so far shown NO interest in signing Kong). And on top of all that, we still haven't seen the surprise that Cornette mentioned. _

_In other news, this chapter took some extra time to post because I was busy…hanging out with Victoria! She couldn't have been nicer to me, letting me sit and talk with her at her table for an entire day at the Chicago Wizard World convention. She had so many stories to tell it would take me forever to repeat them. One observation she made must be shared though. When talking about one of her fellow wrestlers she said: _

_"When it comes to personalities, Ivory and I are pretty much the exact same person…except she's louder." _

_Having met both women, I'd say that statement is spot on. _

_But now...please review. I need feedback. _


	18. Chapter 18

It wasn't exactly the best kiss ever.

Not that Beth's lips didn't feel nice. In fact, Layla thought they felt absolutely marvelous…so soft and perfect.

But any enjoyment of the tactile sensation was quickly forgotten when the strong blonde took hold of Layla's arms and pushed her away. The woman's grip was firm but not painful. No, the only hurt was in Beth's eyes. Hurt and something that looked like disappointment.

"Beth?" Layla asked in confusion and concern. "What's wrong? I…I'm sorry if-"

"Don't," the larger woman said sharply as she released her hold on the British beauty. "Just…don't."

In the awkward silence that followed, Layla was horrified to see that Beth was fighting back tears.

"I need to go," the blonde said abruptly.

"But-"

"I need to go," she repeated in a sharp tone before hurrying from the room.

******'******

Elsewhere backstage, Victoria and Mickie were heading towards the catering area. As they arrived they passed crossed paths with Molly.

"Oh, hi Mickie," she said politely. She looked down at the floor before continuing. "Victoria."

"Molly," Victoria responded in a measured though not unfriendly tone. But rather than engage in conversation, the two-time champion made a quick exit.

Mickie and Victoria exchanged a look before Mickie let out a small sigh. "Is she ever going to be comfortable around you again?"

"I don't know," the taller woman answered. "It would be nice. She helped me a lot when I was starting out. She's the one who taught me the _Widow's Peak_."

"I know from experience that some feuds take longer to get over than others," Mickie said. "But it's been over six years. I think I could get over losing a Hair Match by then."

Victoria shrugged. "I don't know. Neither of us have had to lose one. I could see myself holding a grudge for a long time. But…"

"Go on," Mickie encouraged.

"If Molly hated me, if she were out for revenge, I could deal with that. But the way she is around me…so withdrawn. It makes me sort of sad," Victoria admitted.

"You're friends with Ivory and she and Molly are close. Maybe she could help you two have a sit down or something?"

As Victoria pondered this suggestion, she and Mickie took notice of one of the backstage video monitors. Christy Hemme was out in the ring doing an interview now. The interviewee was none other than Jim Cornette.

******'******

"So Jim, you told me that you wanted some time to address the fans directly," Christy said.

"Yes," he answered. "You see, everyone knows that since the FWF started we have enjoyed more success than anyone could have imagined. So I wanted to come out here and give a personal thank you to all our fans for making us the hottest promotion in the business today."

The crowd cheered wildly at Cornette's remarks. After a suitable amount of time, he spoke up to deliver the rest of his message.

"But you see…we're not going to rest on our laurels. No, we are only going to go onward and upward from here. We already have the finest roster of female talent ever assembled…but we are going to add to it. Already I've gotten calls from around the world from top athletes who want to sign on with the FWF. I'm talking about Sara Del Rey and MsChif. I'm talking about Allison Danger. Heck, I even gotten calls from down Mexico way from Faby and Mari Apache. All these women and more want to compete here because this is where the action is. And do you know what I told these ladies, Christy?

"What?" she replied in a polished interviewer's tone.

"I told every single one of them to lace up their boots and get moving, because we're ready for all comers!"

He paused again to allow the crowd to respond.

"Now, I will admit one thing," he said with a smile. "I did turn one woman down. Mae Young has been ringing my phone off the hook day and night but I've just had to say no. It's not because I don't respect her desire to get back in the ring at eighty-seven years old…but I have a responsibility to the ladies here. You know if I hire Mae she's going to have all the girls out all night drinking and carousing with her. I can't have her leading our athletes astray like that."

There was laughter from the audience and some scattered chants of "WE WANT MAE!"

"When can we expect to see some of these new arrivals?" Christy inquired when the crowd quieted again.

"Well, I'm glad you asked." Cornette grinned. "Many of these ladies have other obligations to finish up before they can join our company, so it's going to be some weeks before we'll see them here. But I do have one lady who's going to join us tonight. Matter of fact, why don't I bring her out right now?"

Motioning for Christy to hand over the microphone so that he could do an introduction in the same style as he'd used to back in the day when he'd led _The Midnight Express _to the ring, Cornette got a gleam in his eye and turned the excitement in his tone all the way up to eleven.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, here and now for the first time ever, making her FWF debut is a woman who needs no introduction but is getting one anyway! Internationally famous and the most successful woman in wrestling of the past decade…"

Backstage, Victoria's jaw clenched and Mickie's expression hardened.

"…the only woman in history with seven World Championship reigns…"

Suddenly other women were crowding next to Victoria and Mickie to watch the monitor. Gail Kim, Melina and Molly, who was now ignoring her discomfort at Victoria's presence, had their eyes glued to the screen.

"…Canada's favorite daughter…"

"There's only one woman he could be talking about," JBL commented from the announcer's table.

Ivory didn't answer, or so it seemed. Without anyone realizing she switched off her microphone just long enough to mutter quietly. "Yeah, whoop-de-freaking-doo."

"…TRISH STRATUS!"

The theme music started playing…the music that began with Trish's own musical laughter…and the already cheering crowd began screaming even louder. Then she appeared…a blonde goddess, smiling and perfect as ever…looking like her last regular match had been yesterday rather than four years ago.

Backstage the other wrestlers started murmuring.

"Did you know she was coming?"

"I had no idea."

"I'm not sure how I feel about this."

"What do you think, Victoria?"

There was silence for a second as the others all realized that Victoria was the only one of them who hadn't spoken.

"It's good for business," she finally said in a carefully neutral tone.

The others knew this was true, but still there was no great show of enthusiasm among them as they quieted and listened to hear what Trish had to say to the audience.

******'******

"It is SO GOOD to be back!" Trish shouted excitedly when the microphone was turned over to her. "I've missed being in the ring!"

The audience showered her with love, as audiences always did.

"Let me tell you all something though," she went on. "I thought I was done with wrestling. After all my success, I figured there was nothing more for me in this sport. That's why I didn't sign on with the FWF when it was starting up. But after seeing what this company has done and how it's given women the opportunity to show just how talented we are…I had to be here!"

The crowd continued to cheer.

"Let me be clear, for all the success I've had, I have NEVER seen a promotion that has given such support to women. The FWF is the best of the best! And I am honored to have the chance to be a part of this wonderful company!"

Further cheering proved that the fans were happy to have her there.

"And I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone who built this organization into what it is today. All the wrestlers who've been here from the start. All the people behind the scenes. And most of all, the one person who started the whole ball rolling. One of the greatest wrestlers ever to step into the ring…and believe me, I have the scars to prove it…Victoria!"

Backstage, the wrestlers who were gathered around the monitor listened and digested Trish's words.

"That was nice of her to say," Gail offered.

"She was just telling the truth," Melina said somewhat dismissively. "It's not like she deserves a medal for stating the obvious."

"No…but she'll probably get one," Molly spoke up, her tone bitter.

Victoria shook her head. "This isn't WWE. She's not the top dog here. She wants to compete…she'll compete. But there's going to be no special treatment."

"You sure about that?" Melina asked. "Somehow things always seem to turn out in her favor."

Victoria turned and glared at the Latina. "No…special…treatment." Her tone was icy cold. "We can trust Cornette." She paused. "And even if we couldn't…this is the FWF. Trish doesn't rule the ring here."

Victoria then turned and went back to her dressing room, Mickie at her side. As such, Mickie was the only one who heard what the taller woman said under her breath.

"Trish doesn't rule the ring here. I do."

******'******

Unaware of the dynamic arrival of Trish Stratus or the reactions of the other wrestlers, Layla was searching high and low for Beth. She finally found her in a darkened corner just outside one of the arena's back door exits.

"I don't want to talk," the powerful blonde said in a flat voice as Layla approached her.

"Beth, please. Tell me what's wrong? I'm sorry if I offended you…but I don't understand. Was what I did really so wrong?"

The larger woman made no reply.

"Look, if you aren't attracted to me that's one thing. But to act like this? Maybe I'm the one who should be offended. You're making me feel like I'm a leper or something."

There was a momentary softening of Beth's expression. "No, it's not like that."

The petite beauty moved to the other woman's side. "Then what is it like? Explain it to me."

Beth took a deep breath before speaking. "I didn't know you were gay."

"Well, I'm not actually."

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I'm not gay."

"But you kissed me," Beth protested.

Layla held up her hands. "Okay, this is complicated. Let's take one thing at a time. Why did my kiss upset you?"

Once again, Beth took a deep breath. "I don't make friends easily. I never have. Not good friends."

Layla listened attentively.

"It's hard in this business. You know that. Whenever you find someone you can get along with, something will happen just as you're getting comfortable. That happened with me and Melina years ago. Getting along just fine and then…boom…we're both going after the title. It was because of stuff like that I didn't let myself get too attached to anyone."

"You helped out Mickie," Layla offered.

"Yeah, but I tried not to get too close," Beth explained. "I'd already feuded with her for the belt in the past. I figured we'd be going at it again eventually. See, I can deal with having allies. I can even deal with having…pals…buddies…whatever. But a really close friend? I figured there was no way. And then you came along."

"But why would you want to be friends with me?" Layla asked. "After how horrible I was back when I was Michelle's partner in WWE? The stuff I'd said…the horrible things I'd said about you."

"Well, yeah…I never figured we could become friends. But then when we all came to the FWF. The way you went out and said to the whole world that you wanted to make a new start. I didn't believe you at first. But the way you acted the first night at the tournament…the way you proved yourself." She began to grin. "And the way you let me and Mickie humiliate Michelle. That was so good."

They both shared a laugh before Beth continued.

"The way you kept talking about wanting a new start. It made me wonder if maybe I couldn't have a new start too. If you weren't afraid to reinvent yourself, I figured I could at least try to be a little more friendly…to not be so guarded all the time. You sort of inspired me."

"Really?" Layla asked in amazement. Now she understood why Beth had made such an effort to bond with her.

"Yeah." Beth looked the dark-haired beauty in the eyes. "You're the best friend I've ever had."

Layla felt incredibly moved at this revelation, but then she felt terrible embarrassment as the blonde went on.

"But then you kissed me, and I realized how all the time we've been spending together…that it could have been misunderstood. Like maybe you thought I was leading you on."

A mortified Layla raised a hand to her forehead. "I'm such an idiot. Beth, I thought...oh it doesn't matter what I thought."

"Look, I don't mind that you're gay," Beth said. "It's just that I thought you liked me because you liked me. Not because you, um…had a thing for me."

The British wrestler wasn't sure whether she should laugh or bang her head against the wall. "Alright, just to be clear. You're not gay, right? Or bi?"

"No. No, I'm straight."

Layla proceeded to explain how she had misunderstood things from the beginning, taking great pains to reassure the blonde that she liked her as person. When she finished her explanation she was rewarded with a look of pure incredulity from Beth.

"So you're not gay?" the blonde asked in a disbelieving tone.

"No."

"But you kissed me."

"Because I was grateful to you for saving me in the ring."

Beth rolled her eyes. "And do you always offer yourself as a reward to people who help you out? Even if they're the same sex?"

Layla's expression filled with outrage. "I was not offering myself!"

"Look girl, I've been kissed and I've been KISSED. And you were KISSING me…no doubt about it."

"I was confused," Layla protested. "And emotional. It was all a big mistake. I'm not gay."

Beth paused. "Okay, hold on a second. Think about when you kissed me. Now imagine what would have happened if I were gay. Imagine that instead of pushing you away I kissed you back. What would have happened?"

"I…uh…"

"What if I had been madly passionately in lust with you and started ripping your clothes off right then and there? How would you have reacted?"

Layla began to open her mouth to answer but stopped as she thought back to the first moments of the kiss. She considered Beth's scenario carefully and examined her feelings as she did so.

"Oh bugger," she finally said. "I am gay!" She paused and began to blush furiously. "I'm gay...and a bit of a slut. I totally would have let you have your way with me." She shook her head. "This is a lot to take in."

"You never had any idea before?" Beth asked. "No inklings?"

"No, but this makes so much sense now," Layla said in astonishment. "I've never really been drawn strongly to men, but I just figured I hadn't found the right one. Bloody hell, I've been living in denial for years!" She started to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

"You okay? You're not going to go hysterical on me?"

"No, I'm fine," Layla answered, still laughing. "I actually feel quite good about all this now."

Beth began to chuckle as well. "I'm glad, because now I can enjoy the ego boost of this whole thing."

"What do you mean?"

The blonde bombshell flashed a big smile at her friend. "Face it, I must be the hottest babe alive. I turned you gay."

"Well, technically I've always been gay," Layla corrected. "You just helped me realize it."

"I turned you gay, I turned you gay," Beth continued in a sing-song tone.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?"

Beth shook her head.

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes: _**_Trish Stratus has finally arrived. It doesn't seem like everyone is so happy to see her though. What will happen next? And how about Layla and Beth? Those wacky girls. This was my original plan for them all along...for Layla to think Beth was gay and come to terms with her own sexuality as a result. The problem was, I was having so much fun writing them that I began really wanting them to be a couple. I finally decided to stick to my original plan (can't have EVERYONE be gay after all)...but I think I'm going to have to write some other Beth/Layla fics in the future (set in a different reality where they can have a full-blown romance). _

_Cornette's mention of the new wresters wanting to join the FWF was a shout out to some of the fine women working in the business today that aren't employed by WWE or TNA. Also, I had to get in a mention of Mae Young. While she never held the Women's World Championship, she is a Hall of Famer who holds a record that no other wrestler, male or female, is ever likely to break. Mae has wrestled matches in EIGHT different decades. Yes, you read that right. She debuted as a teenager in 1939, competed actively up through the early 1980s, and then took part in occasional (very short) matches in the 90s. She had her last match (to date) in the year 2008 in a sixteen woman tag team match. (The women on the opposing team basically just ran at her and then reacted when she'd hit them with forearm smashes...much to the delight of the crowd). _

_In a sad note, one of the best women in wrestling history passed away Friday. Luna Vachon, of the famous Vachon wrestling family (which included her father, 'Butcher' Vachon, and her uncle, the legendary 'Mad Dog' Vachon). She was only forty-eight and had recently lost her home in a fire. I had long planned to mention Luna in a later chapter of this fic in regards to some classic matches she'd had with Ivory. Sadly, that mention will now be posthumous. _

_Please review. I need feedback. _


	19. Chapter 19

The show had ended for the week but virtually all the wrestlers were still in the building. Nobody was in a hurry to leave, and this could all be attributed to the presence of Trish Stratus. The newest member of the FWF roster was smiling and bubbly as she mingled with all the other women.

But if one looked past the seemingly happy atmosphere backstage, there was a noticeable pattern to be observed. The women coming up to Trish, the ones smiling and laughing with her were all the younger wrestlers. Ones that had never met or worked with the celebrated blonde icon.

The women that had worked with Trish in her WWE heyday, they tended to stay back and avoid the friendly small talk and polite greetings. Or they at least attempted to. Eventually however Trish approached each of them in turn, her manner pleasant and personable without even a hint of hostility.

Of course, the women had to respond politely and in a friendly, if somewhat subdued manner. It just wouldn't have been appropriate to be snobbish or cold to someone being so insufferably nice. Not when Trish seemed so genuine.

She was even all smiles when she approached Victoria and Mickie.

"Hey guys," she greeted her former foes with a beaming smile. "Wow, it's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"It has been a while," Mickie replied. Victoria merely nodded.

"How's your leg?" Trish asked Mickie. "Does it feel a hundred percent? I watched the footage of the ladder match again recently. That was just a horrible break."

"It took some time, but I feel good as new," the brunette managed to respond before Victoria spoke up.

"It was an accident, you know," she said with a slight edge in her voice.

"Of course," Trish said. "It could have happened to anyone. I'm just glad it there was no permanent damage done."

The pause that followed was just long enough to be awkward, though this was offset somewhat by Trish's never failing smile.

"So," she finally said. "I hear you two are together now?"

Victoria wrapped her arm around her lover's waist in a somewhat possessive manner. "Yes," she said firmly. "And we couldn't be happier."

"Victoria's wonderful," Mickie added in a brighter tone.

"That is fantastic," Trish replied. "I couldn't be happier for you guys. And you two make such attractive couple. I just hope that when the time comes for me to face off with either one of you in the ring, the other isn't waiting to double team me." She laughed in a teasing manner. "Either one of you alone is tough enough for me to deal with."

"Yes, we always have been," Victoria agreed. "No need to double team you." Her voice then took on a bit of a a pointed tone. "Besides, it may be a while before we face off. You are the new girl here, after all. And you haven't competed for a few years."

"Can't argue with that," the blonde responded. "I am eager to get back in the ring, but there's going to be an adjustment period for sure." Her tone remained upbeat but a tiny sliver of hardness, sparkling like diamonds, appeared in her eyes. "For now though I'm just happy to be back. I'm looking forward to seeing your match for the title next week. Michelle seems hard to deal with, but my money's on you."

Trish moved on to speak with some of the others after that. Mickie and Victoria both felt a bit of shared relief when she did so.

"This is sort of weird," Mickie admitted to her partner. "Even though she and I had sort of made peace a little before she retired, I'm more used to having her as an enemy."

"Yeah, imagine how I feel," Victoria replied. "She and I never made peace."

******'******

Despite the splash that Trish's return made, there were still many other things for the women of the FWF to think about. Victoria had to prepare for her title shot of course, but rest of the roster were also still quite motivated regarding their own training. The group sessions with Lance, JBL and Ivory were continuing to benefit all the wrestlers that took part. But besides the education, the women also got to enjoy the unexpected entertainment of the frequent verbal barbs that passed between Lance and JBL whenever the two men crossed paths in the gym.

What made this all the more amusing to many of the ladies was the way the men only bad mouthed one another face to face. It was noticed that whenever JBL was teaching the women, he'd often mention Lance as an example to emulate when talking about the more technical aspects of wrestling. Likewise, when Lance gave instructions…he'd advise everyone to study tapes of JBL's career to see the proper way to improvise in the midst of a bout and dictate the flow of a match.

Finally, one afternoon after both men had concluded their sessions for the day and had started trading insults once again…a number of the women approached them and spoke up.

"Is there a reason you can never say anything nice to each other?" Layla asked.

Naturally, the more talkative cowboy was the first to respond. "Now why would I ever have anything nice to say about this bum?"

The two men were equally surprised with Beth, Ivory, Molly and Gail all started quoting words of praise that JBL had spoken about Lance's wrestling ability.

"He really said all that?" the low key Canadian asked.

"Yes," Layla answered. "Just like you've said…" She then proceeded to quote some of Lance's past words. The other ladies joined in on this as well.

"Well, I can admit that Storm isn't bad when it comes to technical ability," JBL finally said. "But that doesn't change the fact that he's got zero charisma and could suck all the life out of an arena full of excited fans."

"You know, I had plenty of matches that excited the fans," Lance responded with some exasperation in his voice. "And I did it without having to run my mouth off for hours on end. I let my skill speak for itself."

"With all that skill, you were still just a mid-carder at best," the larger man shot back.

"You would know," Lance replied in a dry tone. "You spent most of your career as a mid-carder."

"That's supposed to be a shot? Because I sure as hell didn't end my career in the middle of the card! How may times were you World Champion, Lance?"

"Enough!" Ivory shouted both men down. "This is getting ridiculous. Why do you two always act like this? We all know how much respect you have for each other. What is with all the hostility?"

Surprisingly, JBL's usual bombast seemed to fade when Ivory directed her gaze towards him.

"The truth is, I've always been ticked off by his wrestling," the big man admitted. "He's right up there with Bret Hart or Kurt Angle when it comes to pure wrestling science. And it's just a damn waste."

"A waste?" Lance questioned.

"I busted my ass for over a decade before I could even get close to being a main-eventer. And at the same time I'm seeing this clown go out and throw together some chain wrestling sequences so smooth you could have written a text book on it."

"You were jealous of Lance?" Gail asked.

He shook his head. "Jealousy would have been one thing. I was just plain mad. Because for the perfect technique, I'd see him lose plenty of matches he should have won." He looked over to Lance. "I swear, half the time you were so damn concerned about outwrestling a guy you'd forget to outfight him!"

Lance nodded. "That…was a problem at times. My instinct often told me to go for the 'proper' hold or make the 'correct' counter. I'd overanalyze the situation and my opponents would capitalize on it. Whereas you'd usually go for whatever seemed like it would work at the moment. Wasn't always pretty…but it won you plenty of matches."

"It's funny," Beth commented. "If someone could have combined the two of you into one person, you'd have been the perfect wrestler."

"Si, hai, yes," Ayako Hamada spoke up as she stepped forward to stand next to Lance. She'd been content up until that point to hang back away from the group and listen, but now she had something to say. "That because they both…much alike. Both always want to be best in wrestling."

"They just had different ways of defining what being the 'best' meant," Ivory concluded. "Lance was all about being the best technical wrestler, John was about doing whatever it took to win."

"And you both love this business," Molly added. "Not to mention you're both great teachers."

JBL chuckled. "Well, this has got to be a first, he said to Lance. "We got a room full of people trying to say you and I more alike than different."

"You exactly alike," Hamada repeated. "Except one difference. Lance not…" she paused as if looking for the proper words, "…big windbag."

The unexpected joke caused all the group to start laughing, none more loudly than JBL himself.

"No, there're two differences," the cowboy corrected as he looked at Ayako. "The other one is I'm not dating some smart-mouthed little firecracker." He looked around to the rest of the assembled group. "Now come on, we've all been here long enough for one day. Let's all go out and knock back a few. I'm buying."

This was an idea that sounded agreeable to all, although Lance, confirmed teetotaler that he was, requested they go somewhere that had a good variety of non-alcoholic beverages on the menu. This caused JBL to launch into a diatribe about how it was impossible to respect a man who didn't enjoy a cold beer now and again.

The ladies just rolled their eyes and chuckled amongst themselves.

******'******

The buzz about Trish Stratus' return to wrestling got the FWF a lot of free publicity in the days leading up to Victoria's match with Michelle. Though Cornette knew the most important aspect of that week's broadcast would be the title match, he also knew it made good business sense to have Trish featured as much as possible. Thus she was asked if she'd like to do guest commentary for the week's episode alongside Ivory and JBL. The blonde beauty was happy to accept.

Ivory didn't seem overjoyed at the development, but acted in a professional manner throughout the broadcast.

When it came time for the evening's main event, the sense of excitement that filled the building was palpable. When Victoria's theme music began to play, the fans let out the most raucous ovation of the night.

"Back when you and Victoria were going at it tooth and nail, did you ever imagine you'd hear a crowd cheer for her like this?" JBL asked Trish.

"No, it's quite a switch from the old days," the blonde admitted. "But she totally deserves it."

As the cheers died down, Michelle's music began to play. A chorus of boos rang out as McCool appeared, with Kong following her down to ringside.

"You have an opinion on the current champion, Trish?" Ivory asked.

"She has attitude to spare. I've never been in the ring with her, but she seems pretty formidable. And with Kong at ringside being such a menacing and distracting presence, Victoria certainly has her work cut out for her."

When the match began, Victoria went straight after McCool. She quickly gained the upper hand and began punishing the blonde with some hard blows to the body. Several times Michelle tried to retreat to the outside towards Kong, but Victoria managed to block her foe's path and keep McCool in the ring.

Yet the battered Michelle was able to kick out of the first pinfall attempt by Victoria. And then the second. After that, the champion managed to duck an attempted clothesline and catch Victoria in a beautifully executed belly-to-belly suplex. For the first time in the match Michelle was able to go on the offensive and she made sure to keep Victoria on the mat, first applying a rear chinlock and then switching to a partial _Surfboard _hold. Michelle's resilience and her ability to successfully rally back were impressive, but illustrated perfectly why so many fans felt such contempt for her.

The truth of the matter was simply this…Michelle McCool was a damn good wrestler. She had solid grappling skills and impressive physical ability. She could have been successful without resorting to the numerous, underhanded tactics she always relied upon. It often seemed like she cheated not out of necessity or desperation to win but rather out of sheer malice.

Of course, she displayed a fair share of malice even when not cheating. That was evidenced by the cruelly gleeful expression on her face as she continued to inflict damage on Victoria. She reapplied the chinlock and felt Victoria's struggles start to lessen. Thinking that she'd worn her foe down, Michelle eased up on the pressure in preparation to go for a pinning maneuver.

That was when Victoria quickly slipped out of Michelle's grasp and regained her feet. Her time honored ploy of playing possum had once again proven successful. She grabbed Michelle in a front facelock and brought took her down with a lightning fast snap suplex. But when Michelle hit the mat Victoria did not release her hold around Michelle's neck. Instead she somersaulted backwards on top of the blonde and then pulled her up into a partial seated position, adjusting the hold on Michelle's neck while at the same time wrapping her legs around the blonde.

"Oh, Victoria's got her trapped in a _Guillotine Choke_," Ivory exclaimed.

"This could win her the match," Trish commented. "That looks so incredibly painful. I have to admit I'm glad Victoria didn't make that move a regular part of her arsenal until after I retired."

"Give credit to Michelle though," JBL added. "She's not tapping out yet. Though if she can't find a way out of this that may not matter. This is a hold that will knock you out if it's kept on long enough."

Even as those words were spoken, Michelle's flailing arms began to drop to her sides. Her flagging energy was instead redirected into vocal cords as she cried out. Despite the pain she was in, her scream conveyed mostly fear. She could feel her championship slipping away along with her consciousness. She was openly signaling her helplessness, which excited the crowd into a frenzy.

Unfortunately her signal was not directed towards the crowd.

It was meant for Kong.

The mammoth woman climbed onto the ring apron, but the referee saw her. He moved away from Victoria and Michelle and blocked Kong from stepping through the ropes, warning her that any interference would cost Michelle the match. But Kong stayed on the apron and simply stared at the ref, keeping him occupied. If he did lose his temper and disqualify Michelle, that was not the worst case scenario…the title couldn't change hands on a disqualification after all. And by keeping the official away from the combatants in the ring, he couldn't see that Michelle was now almost entirely out cold. Naturally this was frustrating to Victoria. If the referee was back in position and checking on Michelle he could stop the match and award Victoria the victory. Finally she released the limp champion and went over to where the official was facing off with Kong.

Realizing that he was suddenly between two very strong females who were both quite angry, the referee quickly sidestepped out of the way, while continuing to warn Kong not to enter the ring. Victoria took a more direct approach than a verbal warning, she instead launched an unexpected dropkick…aimed low rather than high and impacting squarely on Kong's right leg. This unbalanced the large woman and sent her falling hard off the apron and onto the floor. Yet even though this took only a few moments, it was still enough for the barely conscious Michelle to crawl towards the opposite side of the ring and roll out to the floor herself. This gave her some precious moments to try and recover while the referee urged Victoria to stand in a neutral corner so that he could see if Michelle was able to return to the ring by the count of ten.

Victoria wanted no count out victory though. She needed to score a pinfall or submission to reclaim the title. So she interrupted the referee when his count got too high. While this ensured that the match would continue, it also gave Michelle more time to recuperate. Victoria thought it best to go outside and drag her foe back into the ring herself, but the referee kept trying to get her to stand back. As they argued, Michelle took advantage of the situation by reaching into her boot and pulling out her brass knuckles. Yet while the referee and Victoria missed seeing this, the team at the announcing table did not.

"Oh no, not this again," Ivory complained. "When the hell are the officials going to learn to check Michelle's boots properly for foreign objects?"

"I don't know," JBL answered. "But if Victoria and the ref don't start paying attention, Michelle might get a chance to bring those knucks into play."

"No way," Trish spoke up. "The people here want to see a fair fight."

With that, much to the surprise of Ivory and JBL, Trish took off her headset microphone and hurried over towards Michelle. Victoria and the referee were too preoccupied with one another to notice this, but the crowd reacted excitedly when they saw Trish grab the weapon out of Michelle's hand and toss them to the ground.

"What the…?" McCool blurted out in surprise. She angrily shoved Trish, which caused the newest member of the FWF roster to retaliate with a hard forearm smash to the face.

Naturally, it was just as Trish's blow connected that the referee turned and took notice of the two blondes. "Okay, that's it!" he exclaimed as he signaled for the bell.

"What? NO!" Victoria shouted. She tried to reason with the official, but he ignored her as he went to inform the ringside announcer of his decision. At the same time, Michelle retreated from Trish Stratus and rushed to Kong in search of protection.

Trish, having heard the bell and realized what must have happened, climbed into the ring and began to offer an explanation to Victoria. But the raven-haired vixen simply stared coldly at her as the official announcement was made.

"The referee has called this match due to outside interference and ruled the bout a No-Contest. Michelle McCool retains the World Championship."

The crowd voiced its disapproval as Michelle and Kong made their exit. Inside the ring, Victoria continued to glare at her long-time rival while Trish once again tried to explain herself…even throwing in words of remorse over the results of her actions.

So as time ran out on the telecast, millions of viewers at home saw Trish standing in the ring and apologizing.

And then they saw Victoria grabbing the blonde beauty by the throat and slamming her to the mat. She straddled Trish and made a serious effort to strangle her before backstage workers and others scrambled into the ring and pulled her off her the Canadian superstar.

And the last camera shot before the program ended? A simple zoom in on Victoria as she tilted her head oddly to one side and ran her fingers through her hair while a gleam of insanity smoldered in her eyes.

Psycho-Diva appeared to be back in town.

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes: _**_I'd hoped to do a lot more writing this weekend, but there were far too many annoying complications. Hopefully the quality of this chapter didn't suffer too much because of the annoyances. _

_I wanted to touch on the 'well-known' dislike that JBL and Lance have for each other in this chapter. This was inspired by rumors online a few years back that the two men hated each other. It started with some promos JBL cut during the original 'ECW: One Night Stand' storyline where he insulted a number of wrestlers including Lance. This shows how effective a good promo can be when wrestling fans WHO KNOW THAT THEY ARE WATCHING A STORYLINE still buy into to it so much that they believe there must be some 'hidden truth' behind it. In any case, Lance has pointed out repeatedly how if he and JBL had legitimate problems with each other, they couldn't have worked so smoothly in their matches together over the years. He's also praised JBL quite often as a performer, and even recently suggested that JBL would be the right person to turn TNA around if he were to come out of retirement and get back into the wrestling business. But since in my story wrestling storylines are all 'real' I planned from the start to give a reason for JBL and Lance to not get along...while at the same time including their real life respect for each other. _

_But what about the larger story with Victoria and Trish? Do you think everyone will kiss and make up next chapter? Please review. _


	20. Chapter 20

Of course efforts at peacemaking were tried backstage.

_It was a misunderstanding. Emotions were running high. She didn't mean it. _

Those were just some of the phrases bandied about. There was plenty of rational and reasonable advice offered to both women.

But while Trish, upset as she was at being attacked, was still willing to talk things out, her rival was of a different mindset.

Victoria appeared to be in control of herself. It wasn't as if she were a raving lunatic. But there was a dark fire still burning in her eyes. A fire that didn't lessen even when the words coming out of her mouth were measured and calm. It was also a fire that disturbed those closest to her when they saw it…especially Mickie.

Eventually the two rivals, along with Lance and Mickie, found themselves facing Jim Cornette in his office.

"Victoria," he said from behind his desk. "Are you seriously telling me you believe Trish sabotaged the match on purpose?"

"Yes!" There was no hesitation whatsoever in her answer. "Don't you see? This would have been my seventh championship! I was going to tie her record and she couldn't stand it!"

"That's ridiculous," Trish shouted. "Michelle had brass knuckles. I was trying to help!"

"When have you ever helped me?" Victoria shot back. "When have you ever helped anyone but yourself?"

Lance made sure to step between the two women as they continued yelling at one another.

"Both of you SHUT UP!" Cornette finally bellowed, causing everyone else to fall silent.

"It's obvious that you two aren't going to play nice with each other," he continued in a calmer voice. "Fortunately that's never been a big problem in this business. You two want to fight, you'll fight…but only when I say so and in front of a paying audience."

Both women were quick to agree, each saying they'd be ready by next week's show. Surprisingly, Cornette's reaction was little more than a dismissive laugh.

"You two are going to wait a bit longer than that," he explained. "Trish Stratus and Victoria going at each other again after four years? That's something that needs a good build up. Something that needs a special event." He leaned back in his chair. "And next week you'll find out just what kind of event that'll be. But until then, you two are NOT to touch each other…do I make myself clear?"

Again, both women protested…but to no avail.

"Now listen up," Cornette warned. "I know both of you are all fired up right now but there are plenty of reasons to put this off…and I'm talking about more than just good business." He turned to Trish. "You haven't even had your first match in the FWF yet. You really want your baptism by fire to be against her?" He then addressed Victoria. "And as for you…well, quite frankly I want you to take some time to cool off and make sure you've got your head right. I don't mind you being mad at Trish. Hell, I don't mind if the two of you hate each other's guts. But I don't want to see the FWF's co-owner and one of our top stars acting like she ought to be in a rubber room somewhere."

Victoria's lips twisted into a scowl and she started to speak, but recognized a hint of something in Cornette's eyes. She saw a similar emotion in Lance's eyes, and Mickie's entire expression seemed to radiate it.

Concern.

They were all worried about her.

Her scowl disappeared and she nodded to the FWF commissioner.

Then she and Mickie left the room and headed home.

******'******

There was quite a buzz in the days that followed, both from wrestling fans and from people within the FWF itself. Rumors were going around that something big was going to be announced at the next week's matches, but the details were a mystery. There was plenty of speculation though.

"So you have no idea what's going on?" Molly asked Ivory as the two women were working out together at the FWF training facility.

"Nothing," the older woman answered. "The only ones who know anything are Corny and JBL. And I can't get that big lummox to spill the beans."

"Really?" Molly said with a hint of amusement in her voice.

Ivory detected the unusual note in her friend's tone. "Yes…really. What's with you?"

"Oh, I'm just surprised that he's keeping it a secret from you. Haven't you noticed how he is around you?"

Ivory responded with a puzzled look. "You're not making any sense."

But before Molly could continue, both women were surprised by the sight of an unexpected arrival.

"Melissa?" Ivory called out to the wounded wrestler as she made her way towards them with the aid of crutches. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to get back down here and train," she answered. "I might not be able to do much while I've got this cast on…but I can still do a few things."

"Things you can do at home while you're rehabbing," Molly said. "You don't want to be down here and overdoing things."

"Yes, I do!" the woman answered, her voice cracking with emotion. She sat down on a weight bench and flung her crutches aside in anger. "I really do."

Ivory sat next to her and put an arm over Melissa shoulders. "Hey," she said gently. "I know you're upset. But you need to do this the right way. You've been injured before…you can't let it get to you."

"But this is different," she replied. "I'd finally made it. I was the champ. I've been at this for so long and I've been ready for years. I'm not bragging, really…but I KNOW I've been ready for the big time. But WWE would never hire me. And then TNA…" she trailed off as her expression turned angry. "God, they were such idiots!"

Molly sat down on the other side of Melissa and spoke in a comforting tone. "We've all had those frustrations. It's never been easy to be a woman in this business. But now it's different. The FWF is different."

"I know," Melissa responded. "But that's why this is so unfair. Finally when I had a chance to make it to the top, I did…and then I had it taken away from me immediately!" Her voice softened and she looked almost on the verge of tears. "It's not fair."

Ivory, who had known much frustration in her long career, pulled the younger woman into a hug. "No, it's not fair," she agreed. "But you are going to bounce back from this. You're young and you've still got your best years ahead of you. So that's why you need to heal up the right way. Don't rush things."

"But-" Melissa began before being cut off.

"No buts," Ivory said firmly. "And remember this…it may have only been for a week, but you were the World Champion. That is never going to change. After your leg is better and you're ready to get back in the ring, you will have an automatic title shot. Every World Champion gets a rematch. Yours is just going to take a little longer, but that's okay. It gives you more time to prepare."

Melissa was still upset, but further encouraging words from Ivory and Molly eventually lightened her mood. They convinced her to go back home and follow her doctor's advice. She thanked them both before saying farewell.

"This is so rough on her," Molly commented after Melissa had left.

"I know," Ivory said as her expression darkened. "And all because of McCool and Kong. There was no need to break her leg after Michelle had won the match. Just thinking about it pisses me off!"

Molly tried to calm her friend. "They'll get what's coming to them someday."

"Yeah," Ivory replied. "But how many more have to suffer before that happens?"

******'******

At the conclusion of the next week's matches, Jim Cornette came out and made the special announcement that everyone had been waiting for.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as you know the FWF is, week in and week out, delivering the highest quality wrestling action in the world. Now some people might think that there's nothing more we could do to top ourselves…but I am not one of those people."

He smiled and paused for effect before continuing.

"You see, I'm out here to tell everyone in the arena and everyone watching at home that in just six weeks, the FWF is going to the next level! Because that is when the FWF is holding its very first pay-per-view super show!

The crowd in the arena showed its enthusiasm while the wrestlers backstage began talking excitedly among themselves.

"Yes in six weeks we are going to make history with the greatest wrestling extravaganza ever conceived," Cornette went on, cheerfully embracing hyperbole. "In six weeks you are going to see the first ever _FWF MEGACLASH_!"

The name of the event met with instant approval from the audience and the wrestlers alike. In fact it was quite impressive to come up with a good name for a pay-per-view show that hadn't already been copyrighted by WWE or TNA.

"More details about the show will be coming soon," Cornette continued. "But right now I will announce one match that will be on the card…and it's one match that all by itself makes this a can't miss event. Because at _MegaClash _you will see the collision of two of the greatest wrestlers in the history of this business! Two rivals that have faced each other in legendary battles…but I have no doubt that this will be their biggest battle yet! At _MegaClash _you will see Victoria facing Trish Stratus in the grudge match of the millennium!"

And the crowd went wild.

******'******

At first Victoria was upset by the idea that she'd have to wait a month and a half before having her showdown with Trish, but as she considered the matter she began to rethink the situation.

The FWF's first pay-per-view was going to be a milestone for the company. It was destined to be historic. And this made Victoria think about making some history of own.

Instead of just one more match with Trish and a resumption of their feud, why not raise the stakes? Why not end the feud once and for all? Why not prove that she, not Trish, was truly the best of all time?

It was an appealing thought, but a difficult task. How could she destroy Trish in one match? Defeat her in a way that there would be no doubt who had the final word in their feud?

It wasn't as if Trish had never been beaten. Victoria had defeated her on occasion…even defeated her for championships. But nothing ever seemed to keep Trish down. She had always come back and almost always won. No, another single victory added to Victoria's won/loss statistics would still leave Trish with the overall advantage. There would have to be something extra about this match…some special stipulation to truly establish an inarguable superiority.

Victoria obsessed over this, considering and rejecting idea after idea. Thoughts of the match consumed all her attention, much to the concern of those closest to her.

******'******

"Oh, I get it," Victoria said sarcastically to the two people standing in front of her. "This is an intervention."

Lance and Mickie exchanged a glance and then shook their heads.

"We're on your side here," Mickie told her lover. "But I'm worried about you."

"After all these years, why are things so intense with you and Trish?" Lance asked. "I'm not saying you have to like each other. I'm not saying you can't fight each other. But to let her affect you so much, it's not healthy."

"I don't expect you to understand, Lance," she replied before turning to Mickie. "But you? You know as well as I do the truth about Trish."

Mickie looked towards the floor and said nothing. Lance noticed this and raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, what am I missing here?" he asked.

"She's evil," Victoria said firmly. "Trish Stratus is pure evil."

Lance sighed. "Look, I know you don't get along. But I've known Trish for as long as I've known you. She's not evil."

"No," she insisted. "That's the problem. She fools everyone! She even fooled me, but I figured it out!"

Seeing how agitated she was becoming, Lance tried to speak gently and urge Victoria to take a seat, but this only caused her speaking to become more manic.

"Listen to me," she urged him. "You think I'm crazy, but I'm not! It's true. Trish isn't…she isn't normal."

"Have you talked to your doctor?" Lance asked.

"Listen to me! It's not me, it's Trish!" She began pacing back and forth. "I know what you think. You think I'm jealous of Trish from back before we were wrestlers. When she and I were both fitness models…you know she was my friend then, right?"

"I know," he replied. "You've told me."

"And you think I started to get jealous, because everything went so easy for her...and she became more successful," Victoria went on. "And you think I snapped and became obsessed with her! You think that when she went into wrestling, I followed because I wanted to prove I was better than her."

"That is what happened," Lance said quietly. "You've even admitted that in the past."

"Because I believed it," she responded. "I began to think that the problem was with me…but now I see the truth."

Lance raised an eyebrow.

"It's not me…it's her. It's always been her. Think about it. If I'd been the only one who acted like this because of Trish…if I'd been the only one who'd gone to therapy because of her…that would be one thing." She paused and looked towards Mickie. "But I'm not."

By now Lance was feeling very uncomfortable. He'd known that Mickie had gone through a very…difficult…time some years ago because of Trish, but that was in the past. And unlike Victoria, Mickie had never shown signs of any of those old demons returning.

"It's unfortunate that both of you had…serious issues involving Trish," he said. "But that's just a coincidence. I know you don't like her, but Trish is a good person."

"It's all an act!" Victoria snapped. "That's what's so damn frustrating. She fools everyone. Don't you see? It's not just me and Mickie, Lance. Think about it. Think back to when we were all in WWE together."

"Think about what?"

Victoria's eyes were smoldering, but an expression of satisfaction started to appear on her face.

"Name some of Trish's friends," she said. "From the business, I mean. Name some wrestlers that she's close too. "

"Well, Jericho for one," he offered. "They went through a rough spot when they broke up, but they're on good terms today."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Yes, we all remember the great star-crossed romance between Trish and Chris Jericho. But Lance, name we one friend Trish has…that's female."

Lance paused to think.

The pause stretched on for a long time.

"I'd say there was a lot of…rivalry among all the women in WWE back then," he finally said. "With Trish being so successful, there may have been a lot of jealousy directed her way. But that happens fairly often. You know that."

"Yes, but not like that. Not like it is with Trish." Victoria smirked triumphantly. "It wasn't just me that didn't like Trish. It wasn't just Mickie that she affected. It was Molly. It was Ivory. It was Gail. It was Melina." Her voice grew louder as she fired off names. "It was Lita! It was Jackie Moore! Torrie! Candice! Jazz! Name me ONE woman who worked with Trish that didn't end up HATING HER GUTS!"

He was silent as he thought back to those women. Lance had worked with them all...helped them train. They were as diverse a group of personalities as one could find. Some friendly, some aloof. Some embraced by the fans, others despised. But all of them had one thing in common.

None of them liked Trish.

It was strange when he thought about it. Some had been hostile towards Trish from the start, but more disturbing were the ones that had befriended her and then turned on her. No friendship she'd ever had with another female had lasted.

"I've done some bad things in my career, Lance," Victoria went on. "I've fought and feuded with a lot of women. But I have friends. I even have enemies that have turned into friends. Trish doesn't"

She folded her arms and gave him a pointed look. "So who's really the problem? Me…or Trish?"

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes: _**_Does Victoria have a point? Why does Trish have so many women that hate her? (From a storyline perspective…in real life she's friends with Victoria, Molly and the others). _

_Of course, the truth is that Trish's character maintained her popularity for a LONG time. As the top fan favorite, she needed a lot of different villains to face. But with the women's division having only so many wrestlers to choose from, eventually EVERY woman had to have a turn being Trish's 'bitter enemy'. After running through the various bad girls to fight her, they started having other good girls turn bad…even the up-to-that-point lovable Molly Holly. That proved to be one of the most important developments for the women's division. For suddenly Trish found herself in the ring constantly with the BEST female wrestler in the business. This improved Trish's own skills tremendously. An improvement that continued when Victoria made her debut and took over as Trish's 'number one' rival. _

_But in this tale, since all the storylines from the past have to be treated as 'real'…why is Trish so hated? Is everyone else just jealous or is there something more? _

_The reference to Trish and Chris Jericho's star-crossed romance was a nod to their popular storyline from late 2003-2004. It was one of the most engaging stories in WWE history...so naturally it wasn't the product of any WWE writers. It actually came about because the writers had nothing in mind for Jericho at the time. (Let's just take a moment to be outraged that these people couldn't come up with a storyline for one of the most talented and charismatic wrestlers in the history of the business...unbelievable). In any case, Jericho solved the problem by volunteering to write his own storyline...and then recruited Trish to be his love interest. (No fool he). _

_Also, I hope you like MegaClash as the name for the FWF pay-per-view. __Please review. _


	21. Chapter 21

The argument Victoria had presented was thought provoking to say the least. Lance couldn't simply dismiss it out of hand.

But, after some thought, he did finally discard it.

"It's true what you say about the women who've worked with Trish," he admitted. "And it's odd, I'll give you that. But she's not evil."

Victoria threw her hands up in frustration. "She is! She's unnatural!"

Lance shook his head. "I know her. I've worked with her."

"Yes," Victoria said suddenly. "Yes you have." A thoughtful look appeared on her face, though the disturbing gleam still shone in her eyes. "Tell me Lance…be honest. Who's a better wrestler? Trish or me?"

He gazed at her quizzically, surprised by the question.

"Answer me," she went on. "Be objective, and never mind about who's stronger or tougher. Just from a pure wrestling standpoint…me or Trish?"

"Trish is an excellent wrestler," he began. "And her record-"

"Forget her record," Victoria interrupted. "Who's the better WRESTLER in your opinion?"

Lance shrugged. "If someone held a gun to my head to get an answer, I'd say you were the better technically."

"Because I AM," Victoria declared triumphantly. "And I'm bigger and stronger than her too. Now who's better technically, Trish or Molly? No, don't even answer that," she laughed. "We all know that nobody can match Molly for technique…and she's stronger than Trish too."

"What are you getting at?" Lance asked.

"Mickie is a better wrestler than Trish and faster," she replied. "Gail is better and more agile. Melina is at least as good technically and also more flexible than Trish. Ivory has more experience. So how is it that Trish dominated all of us when it came to wins and losses? Don't you see? She's not natural!"

Lance was quiet for a long while. Then he looked Victoria directly in the eyes. "Please, stop this."

"Why can't you see that I'm right?" she demanded.

"I'm not going to try talking about all the intangibles that play a part in wrestling," he responded. "And I'm not going to try and analyze Trish's level of success compared to anyone else. But I am going to tell you that you sound completely unhinged when you go on about her like this."

Victoria began to shout angrily but Lance, surprisingly, shouted back. The unexpected response silenced her.

"You're an intelligent woman," he said. "Too intelligent to buy into these paranoid theories about Trish. She's not some sort of witch or demon. You need to stop obsessing over her like this."

Seeing that Lance couldn't be convinced, the frustrated woman turned to Mickie.

"You believe me, right?" she asked hopefully. "You know Trish isn't normal."

The brunette's face wore a downcast expression and she refused to meet her lover's gaze as she answered.

"I don't want to talk about this now," she said in a small voice before turning and leaving the room.

******'******

After Lance had left, Victoria sought out Mickie. She found her outside sitting underneath the stately old oak tree in the backyard. Neither of them spoke as Victoria sat down next to her.

"You agree with me about Trish, don't you?" she finally asked Mickie.

The shorter woman let out a tired sounding sigh. "You know, for the past few years I've tried to not think about…the past…with Trish. Everyone told me it was healthy to just move on. After all, I was the one with the problem. The one who'd lost her mind over someone…I could never have."

Victoria's jaw clenched. Even though Mickie's one-time infatuation with Trish was common knowledge, a strong sense of possessiveness surged up in Victoria as she listened.

"Yeah, I had to accept that I was the one in the wrong. And once I did that I was 'better'." Mickie paused. "But after listening to you…and thinking back to how things used to seem to me…I think you might be right. Maybe it wasn't me. Maybe it was always Trish's fault for everything."

She raised her gaze up and turned to face Victoria. "But I don't care anymore."

"What? But-"

Mickie cut her off. "No matter who was really to blame, all I know is that the past couple of years I've been happier because I haven't been obsessing over Trish." She raised a hand and brushed it against Victoria's cheek. "And the past few months, I've been happier than ever…because I have you."

Victoria's rage towards Trish faded as she heard her love's words.

"I think it's best to just put the past behind us," Mickie continued. "And I think I can. But…I'm worried that you can't."

That larger woman put her arms around Mickie and held her tightly. If one could have looked into Victoria's eyes at that moment there would have been no trace of madness.

"If I can just end this thing with Trish," Victoria whispered as tears began to run down her cheeks. "I don't think I'll be able to move on. Not until it's settled in the ring once and for all." She paused. "Not until I've proved I'm better than her. Does that make me a bad person?"

"No," Mickie answered softly. "You're not bad."

"But I have to beat her. I have to."

"I know." Mickie kissed Victoria gently on the cheek. "You need the feud to end and then you can move on. We both can move on…together."

The thought of that appealed greatly to Victoria, but also triggered an almost overwhelming worry within her. She did believe that ending her long war with Trish vital to her future happiness.

But she still had no idea how to accomplish that goal with one match.

******'******

Talk of the Trish Stratus and Victoria match was seemingly everywhere. The FWF benefitted greatly from the publicity, but that didn't mean that everyone was happy about it.

Michelle McCool, for example, was rather annoyed.

And at the next television broadcast, with Kong at her side, she voiced her feelings quite clearly during an in-ring interview segment.

"Why is everyone so interested in a couple of has-beens?" she asked in a mocking tone. "I'm the FWF World Champion. I should be in the main event match at _MegaClash_…but I don't even have an opponent yet!"

The crowd jeered, but McCool paid them no mind as she went on.

"Fortunately for all of you, I am the most fair-minded and courageous woman in the wrestling business today," she declared. "Because I'm going to determine the number one contender for my title right here tonight!"

This statement was intriguing enough to quiet the crowd's disdain for a moment. They began to listen more intently.

"I am going to give anyone who's brave enough a chance for a title shot. Any woman in the back, if you want to face me at _MegaClash_, all you have to do is come out here right now…and face Kong!"

The crowd began to jeer once more as Michelle detailed the 'rules' of her challenge. While it was true that anyone was free to come out and face Kong, to secure a title shot they would have to defeat the dangerous woman in five minutes or less. It was clear that McCool's plan was less about finding a challenger for the pay-per-view and more about luring out someone for Kong to brutalize.

But that didn't mean that there weren't a number of wrestlers backstage who were willing to take the risk.

"I'm going out there," Beth Phoenix said with a determined look in her eyes.

"Wait," Layla warned. "Are you sure?"

"You bet I am."

"But you know Michelle isn't going to let this be a fair fight," the British beauty pointed out.

"So what else is new?" Beth countered. "And I'm itching to take a shot at Kong anyway. I'm going to take care of her, and then crush Michelle at _MegaClash _for the title."

"Well, let me go out there with you at least," Layla said. "I'll watch Michelle and make sure she stays outside the ring."

Beth smiled and patted her friend on the back. "Let's do it, Lay."

However in the time it took the two to make their plans, another wrestler rushed by them.

"Too slow, bee-yotches! BAM!" ODB laughed before heading through the curtain and out towards the ring.

Beth cursed in frustration while Layla looked to her friend apologetically.

"I'm sorry," the shorter woman said. "I should have just gone out there with you instead of slowing you down by talking about it first."

"Ah, it's okay," Beth said. "I'm going to tangle with Kong eventually." She patted Layla's head affectionately. "And I'd rather have more than five minutes for a match anyway."

Layla grinned and pointed to a nearby monitor. "Well, let's watch and see how ODB does."

******'******

The fans in the arena were more than happy to see ODB rush out to accept McCool's challenge. The wild brawler took a swig from her lucky whiskey flask and then high-fived fans as she made her way to the ring.

Once the bell rang, ODB showed no hesitation in going on the attack. Kong responded with equal aggression and the two collided in a flurry of hard hitting blows and wild swinging arms. But while adrenaline and the support of the crowd bolstered ODB's fighting spirit, the size and strength advantage of the seemingly invulnerable Kong was too much to overcome.

"I think that last shot stunned ODB," Ivory commented from the announcer's table.

"Yeah, it's not a good idea to try and match power with Kong," JBL added. "Whoa! Look at that! Kong just picked up ODB like she was weightless!"

Indeed, the mammoth woman hoisted her groggy opponent high into the air and then brought her crashing down to the mat.

"_Awesome Bomb!_" Ivory called out the name of the dreaded maneuver. "But Kong's not going for a cover!"

"It looks like she wants to dish out some more punishment," JBL said as Kong again picked up ODB, this time holding the brawler upside down. "Oh no, not this!"

"She's setting her up for the _Implant Buster_," Ivory observed.

"Exactly!" JBL exclaimed. "And with a gal built like ODB that move could cause a major explosion!"

Ivory reached over and smacked her broadcast partner's arm. "Will you be serious?"

Even as that question was asked, Kong crushed ODB to the mat and then turned her over for the pin.

"Well, it was a game effort," JBL observed. "But it looks like ODB won't be challenging Michelle at _MegaClash_."

This was a fact that McCool herself was stressing to the fallen ODB in the ring. She laughed and mocked the brawler as ODB crawled over to the corner and grabbed her lucky whisky flask. ODB took a drink as the champion continued to taunt her…and then she spat a mouthful of whisky into Michelle's face.

"Shut the hell up, ya skank," the defiant brawler growled at the mortified blonde.

The fans in the arena laughed, but their mirth faded quickly when Michelle directed Kong to attack ODB once more. The brawler was dragged back into the middle of the ring and then both Michelle and her monstrous lackey repeatedly kicked the all-but-helpless woman.

"Somebody needs to stop this!" Ivory complained. "The match is over!"

But Michelle had no intention of stopping, she was too angry from being spat on. And Kong simply reveled in the violence. The referee was tossed from the ring when he tried to halt the beating. Ringside workers tried to enter the ring to restore order, but Kong and McCool knocked them back to the floor before they could step through the ropes.

Michelle then took a moment to slide out of the ring herself and grab a steel chair which she tossed into the ring.

"HURT HER!" she yelled to Kong.

"No!" Ivory cried out from the announcer's table as she saw Kong position the chair around ODB's leg, much as she had done with Melissa weeks earlier. "Not again!"

"Security is coming out now," JBL said as he spied a number of personnel head out from the backstage area.

Unfortunately, Michelle saw them as well. She grabbed another steel chair and swung it threateningly at the approaching men…keeping them at bay and blocking their path to the ring. Kong smiled cruelly as she prepared to crush her fallen foe's leg.

Seeing how dire the situation had become, more security guards emerged from backstage and rushed towards the ring. Other wrestlers came out as well, led by Beth and Layla.

"The cavalry is on the way," JBL commented.

Ivory however, kept her focus on Kong and ODB. "They're too far away," she said. "They won't be able to…Damn it!"

To JBL's surprise, his broadcast partner stood up and ripped off her headset microphone.

"What are you doing?"

But Ivory's only answer was an angry yell of "This isn't happening again!" as she ran to the ring.

Coming from an unexpected direction, the wrestler-turned-announcer had no problem in catching Kong unaware. She leapt on the large woman from behind and was just in time to prevent Kong from breaking ODB's leg. Ivory struck at Kong's head repeatedly with one arm from her piggybacked position, but this seemed to do little more than annoy the dangerous giantess.

The crafty veteran was not above improvisation however. Before Kong could shake her off, Ivory used her fingernails to rake her foe's eyes. This caused an unusual cry of pain from the normally silent woman. With Kong momentarily blinded, Ivory hopped off her back and then boxed the large woman's ears. This further disoriented the giant and threw off her equilibrium. The crowd roared its approval as they saw the feared Kong trip and fall.

By this time, Michelle had noticed the surprising turn of events and scrambled back into the ring. But Ivory caught her with a kick to the gut, doubling the tall blonde over. With McCool in that position before her, Ivory's old instincts took over. She reached out and grabbed both sides of Michelle's head, entwining her fingers in the blonde's expensive extensions…and then driving McCool's face straight down to the mat with a perfectly executed facebuster. A move once known as the…

"_Poison Ivory!_" JBL shouted out the maneuver's name as he continued to call the action. "Yes, the FWF Champion has just eaten a mouthful of canvas thanks to my broadcast partner's old finisher."

The ring filled up with security guards and wrestlers after that. Kong had recovered, but found herself forced to retreat from overwhelming numbers. Michelle though remained facedown on the mat a while longer, stunned. When she came to her senses the first thing she noticed was the pain from her newly broken nose. But that sensation was replaced by anger when she saw the several long strands of artificial hair that had been torn from her scalp. And unintended consequence of Ivory's finishing move.

Though truth be told, Ivory wasn't exactly apologetic about it.

"YOU!" Michelle screamed as she pointed to Ivory. She kept screaming even as she was pushed out of the ring by security. "You'll pay for this!"

"I've had enough of your crap Michelle!" the veteran responded, not intimidated in the least. "You want to try and cripple someone? Try that with me! It'll be the last thing you do!"

Further shouts and threats were exchanged as the broadcast came to an end.

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes: _**_Please review. I crave feedback. Seriously, I do. What do you think of the latest developments? _


	22. Chapter 22

Jim Cornette was becoming somewhat resigned to the fact that his office would be filled with angry, screaming women each week after the television broadcast had ended.

At present, the two women yelling the loudest were the reigning FWF World Champion and the company's lead play by play announcer. Crowded in there with them were Kong and Molly as well as JBL and Lance.

"I want her fired immediately!" Michelle McCool insisted as she pointed towards Ivory. "She assaulted me!"

"This is pro wrestling," Cornette answered back. "Practically everything you ladies do to each other is assault and battery."

"But she's an announcer!" McCool replied.

Loathe as anyone was to admit it, the woman had a point. There was a long history of former wrestlers becoming announcers when they had retired from competition, and a point that had always been stressed to these individuals was the importance of not getting physically involved in the matches they called.

Ivory however was not the least bit apologetic. "She and Kong were trying to break ODB's leg after the match was over! If I hadn't jumped in they would have!"

"Yes, let's talk about that," Cornette said as he glared towards Michelle and Kong. "Didn't I warn you not to pull any crap like that again?"

"This was different," the blonde responded. "ODB attacked me after the match was over!"

"What?" said a number of people in unison.

"She spat in my face," Michelle explained. "She could have blinded me!"

Cornette paused and put a hand to his forehead. Realizing that there was no way for him to get through this conversation without getting a matching headache, he decided there was no point in trying to sound calm and collected himself.

"Of all the idiotic…!" he began loudly, too annoyed to even bother completing the sentence. "Michelle, do you actually believe the bull that comes out of your mouth? Or do you think I'm so stupid that I'd buy that as a reasonable explanation? Either way, it doesn't exactly get you in my good graces!"

More arguing ensued, with many insults being hurled back and forth between McCool and Ivory, while the men and Molly did their best to ensure that another melee wouldn't break out.

"Alright, enough!" Cornette finally declared. "Here's what we're going to do. Ivory, you decided to interject yourself into the ring…with good intentions, I'll grant you…but still that's a violation of your job description." He then turned to Michelle and Kong. "And you two blatantly tried to cripple another wrestler even after I warned you not to try anything like that again. So since both sides here need a little punishment, I'm all for letting you punish each other. Ivory, Michelle…you two can settle this in the ring."

"Fine with me," Ivory responded.

"Hah, this will be great," Michelle laughed arrogantly, while Kong smiled behind her.

Others in the room were less enthusiastic about the idea.

"That's not fair," Molly spoke up. "It's too dangerous for Ivory."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," the older woman said in a clearly miffed tone.

"I don't mean it like that," Molly replied.

"Let's be serious here," JBL chimed in, directing his gaze towards Cornette. "Ivory hasn't wrestled in years. You can't put her in a match with the damn World Champion, especially not when Michelle has that friggin' she-beast backing her up." He gestured towards Kong as he spoke…causing the large woman to growl. The brash cowboy simply shot a dismissive glance in her direction. This angered Kong further but there was little she could do about it. JBL was the one person in the company who was bigger than her, and wholly immune to any acts of physical intimidation she might attempt.

"Don't insult my bodyguard like that," Michelle said. "And besides, she's not going to interfere in my match with that old has-been."

"Keep talking," Ivory warned. "You're digging your own grave."

Michelle laughed once more. "Please, you don't have a chance against me. I'm going to end your career single-handedly. And Kong won't have to do anything but enjoy the show next week."

"Whoa there, who said you'd be wrestling next week?" Cornette said. "We've already got two big attractions for our next TV taping…I'm holding off your match until the week after. And as for Kong enjoying the show, that's fine. But she'll be watching from her home." He looked to the large woman. "You're suspended for the next two weeks. I don't want to see you anywhere in the building for the next 14 days."

"What? That's not fair!" Michelle complained.

"Oh shut up," he replied. "You're lucky I'm going this easy on all of you."

There was a bit more shouting after that, but the decision was final. The match between Michelle and Ivory was officially scheduled.

And some people began to worry.

******'******

"I don't want you to do this," Molly said, for what seemed like the millionth time.

Ivory made a valiant effort to hide her annoyance as she continued her workout with the free weights, but it was not easy. For days now, her best friend had been urging her to back out of the match with Michelle.

"I can take her," she answered. "Why are you acting like I'm so fragile? I'm as in shape now as I was the last time I wrestled."

"But you can't expect to just get back in the ring and be in top form," the younger woman protested. "And Michelle is vicious."

"I can be pretty vicious myself."

"You're not thinking straight," Molly went on. "Your pride-"

"I am getting really tired of this," Ivory snapped as she threw the dumbbells she was using to the floor. "Ever since the match was made, everyone has been talking like I haven't got a chance. You know, I might expect that from some people. It's not like I haven't been an underdog before. But I would've thought my friends might have a little faith in me. Just a little."

"I have lots of faith in you. But you have to be realistic. Know your limits."

"Yeah, you'd be the one to talk about limits," Ivory said in a bitter tone.

"Huh?"

Ivory stared into her longtime friend's eyes. "You think I'm biting off more than I can chew. A lot of people think that. But you know what? I'd rather set my sights too high than set them too low." She paused. "That's something I wish you'd think about once in a while."

Molly was still confused by this turn in the conversation. "I'm not sure what you're saying here."

"Yeah," Ivory replied quietly as she turned and headed towards the showers. "That's the problem."

******'******

While the impending collision between Ivory and Michelle was a much discussed topic throughout the FWF, that didn't mean that the main event scheduled for _MegaClash _was forgotten. Victoria was still thinking over what kind of match she wanted it to be.

The problem in trying to end such a storied and long running feud with one match was considerable. The battle needed to be decisive and not allow any room for excuses or arguments after it was over. Unfortunately, there were so many ways that match outcomes could be debated.

If she defeated Trish in a regular match, fans could say that it was just one battle, an off-night for the beloved blonde. However if Victoria beat her in a more brutal contest, such as a _Barbed Wire Death Match_, people could argue that the result only proved that Victoria was crazier or had a higher tolerance for pain than Trish...and not that she was the superior wrestler.

But as Victoria struggled with this puzzle, Mickie worried about another aspect of the battle. While she supported Victoria and believed that she could beat Trish, there was always the possibility that she could lose as well.

And Mickie was worried about what that might do to the woman she loved.

These worries occupied much of Mickie's thoughts. More than her own return to the ring, which was fast approaching. She would be wrestling at the next TV taping herself. Her first singles match since recovering from her broken leg.

It would be the same TV taping that Trish Stratus would wrestle in an FWF match for the first time. In fact, Mickie and Trish would each be taking on members of 'The Beautiful People' in their respective matches. Mickie would face Velvet Sky while Trish would square off with Angelina Love.

"Don't worry about what Trish is going to do that night," Victoria advised. "You should only be thinking about Velvet. You're a way better wrestler than her, but she fights dirty. I don't want to see her get in a cheap shot on you because you're distracted."

"I'll be fine," Mickie reassured her. "But I am curious to see how Trish does. Maybe she's lost a step or two in her time away."

Victoria shook her head. "Probably not. You'd think anyone else would…but Trish? No, she's always so…perfect. Everything seems to go her way."

Mickie moved behind Victoria and reached up to begin rubbing the taller woman's shoulders. "Relax, sweetie. Thinking about Trish gets you so tense."

"I know." She sat down to better enjoy Mickie's impromptu massage. "It's just that I can't think of the right kind of match to have with her. I need something foolproof. But no matter what I come up with, I can imagine fans making excuses for Trish after I beat her. They all treat her like she's an angel. Like some blonde goddess."

Suddenly Victoria bolt upright, surprising Mickie.

"That's it!" she declared triumphantly. "Of course, I've been thinking about this all wrong."

"What?" Mickie asked.

"To really win I have to do more than beat Trish, I have to get the fans to recognize that I'm better than her. But they're never going to do that if they keep this idealized image of Trish in their minds."

"Okay, that makes sense," Mickie said. "But how? You have something in mind?"

Victoria nodded. "It's not about hurting her physically. The key is to humble her…humiliate her." A wicked grin came to her face. "She can't be their blonde goddess without her golden locks now can she?"

Mickie's eyes widened as she guessed where Victoria's train of thought was going. "A Hair Match?"

"A Hair Match," she said with a tone of finality. "I'll make the challenge at the next tapings, after her match is over."

Mickie was silent as she mulled over her love's plan. It certainly would add more drama to the proceedings. In all her career, Trish Stratus had never participated in a Hair Match. For her to lose such a contest would be…well, it would be huge.

But if Trish were to win?

Would Victoria be able to handle that kind of humiliation?

******'******

A few days before the next taping, many of the women were gathered in the FWF's studios to record promo spots. Though more and more promos were being done live at the television tapings themselves, the majority were still pre-taped so that re-takes could be done if needed.

Cornette, JBL and Lance still attended these recording sessions, though they didn't have to give as many pointers to the women as they used to. Many of the wresters had become quite comfortable on the microphone by now, though none of them had yet developed into an 'elite' promo artist. Still, with the progress that had been made, there were hopes that a possible female equivalent of a Ric Flair or a Roddy Piper or a Jim Cornette might someday emerge on the microphone.

When Ivory arrived to record her promo about her match with Michelle, she was in a bad mood. She felt like many of the other women were looking at her with either pity or scorn. Didn't anyone believe she could beat Michelle? Or at least have a chance against her?

Her mood only worsened when she saw the playback of the promo Michelle (who'd already left) had recorded earlier in the day.

"So Ivory wants to climb into the ring and attack me?" the arrogant blonde had said. "Some senile dinosaur thinks she's actually worthy enough to face off against me? I'm the FWF World Champion, the greatest wrestler in the world…and she's nothing."

The recording had captured the cruel look in McCool's eyes as she had laughingly continued.

"The very fact that I have to get into the ring with this refugee from a nursing home is beyond laughable. But after it's over, I'm going to be the only one laughing. All the other wrestlers and all the fans are going to be horrified at the beating I give Ivory. A beating so bad that she will NEVER be seen on television again! Do you understand me? I'm going to drive Ivory out of the wrestling business completely. I'm going to DESTROY her! Yeah, you heard me. By the time I'm finished…Ivory, just like every other dinosaur, is going to be extinct."

As soon as the playback had ended, Christy Hemme called Ivory over to record her own promo. But when the tape started rolling, Ivory snatched the microphone out of the redhead's hands.

"I've got no problem with you Christy," the veteran wrestler all but snarled. "But I don't need you to hold the microphone for me while I say what I've got to say…so take a walk."

Once the startled Christy had retreated, Ivory turned her angry glare towards the camera. She said nothing at first. Then her mouth formed a rather dark and humorless grin.

"You know, the FWF isn't the first time someone's tried to start an all-women wrestling organization. I got into this business actually through an earlier attempt. I answered an ad for a group in Las Vegas."

Though her glare remained intense, her tone softened slightly, becoming more conversational.

"I'd never wrestled before. A lot of other women who showed up that day hadn't wrestled either. And some of the girls didn't take things too seriously. That ticked off the head trainer before too long…a guy named Mando Guerrero. Yeah, that's right…GUERRERO! Eddie's brother. Chavito's uncle. Just as good a wrestler as anyone in that family, and with the same Latin temper. Which I got to see first hand back then…because at one of my first training sessions with that group, I saw him grab one of the women who wasn't taken things seriously…and twist her into a pretzel! And while she was in the ring screaming and crying he looked up at the rest of us there and said "THIS IS WRESTLING! TAKE IT SERIOUSLY OR GET THE HELL OUT!"

She paused before continuing in a quieter tone.

"The next day, half of the women didn't show up. He looked around and commented about how many had gone. He was just thinking aloud, wasn't talking to me…but I said something back anyway. I said, 'I'm still here'."

She chuckled.

"Since then, I have been in so many wrestling rings with so many different people. I have gone hold for hold with Wendi Richter and Madusa Miceli. I have been dropkicked by Sherri Martel. I've been power slammed by Leilani Kai and I have been bitten and clawed by Luna Vachon!"

The volume and intensity of her voice continued to rise as she went on.

"Some of you may not know all those names…maybe you're too young to recognize them, but let me tell you something…every one of those women was tough as hell because that's WHAT YOU HAD TO BE just to BE IN THIS BUSINESS back then! And the point is, I've gone against all of them...and I'M STILL HERE!"

Though Ivory was unaware of it, every other person in the room was standing in rapt attention, listening in stunned silence as she went on.

"And now Michelle McCool thinks she's going to…destroy…me?" Again, she chuckled. "Destroy me? Bitch, I'm not sure you can SURVIVE ME!" She paused. "Because there was one thing you said that was true, Michelle. You called me a dinosaur. Well, I'm a genuine mama Tyrannosaurus…and I will SAVAGE you in the ring and leave you in a broken and bloody heap!"

Once more she paused, her anger seemed to fade just the slightest bit.

"And even though I have a reputation for having a big mouth, after our match is over I'm not going go on and on about how I beat you. No, I'm not going to say much at all. In fact, I'll limit my comments on the subject to just three words…" She stepped closer to the camera so that her face filled the entire picture.

"I'm…Still…Here!"

With that, Ivory tossed the microphone aside and stepped out of the camera shot. She walked directly to the exit without another word.

An almost absolute silence hung over the room after she had gone. The other wrestlers, some of them slack-jawed, said nothing.

Finally, the quiet was ended when Jim Cornette loudly cleared his throat. The sound caused all eyes to turn to him. Once he was the center of attention, he pointed towards the direction that Ivory had exited.

"Ladies," he declared. "THAT is how you cut a promo!"

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes: _**_Please review. I mean it…PLEASE review. _

_What do you think of Victoria's plan for Trish? Will it backfire? How do you think Mickie and Trish will do in their individual matches with Velvet and Angelina? And is Ivory being too reckless? Is she in over her head? _

_I hope everyone enjoyed Ivory's promo. I wasn't sure if I could translate an 'epic wrestling promo' into a written scene and do it justice. In any event, the story in her promo is completely true. She got her start in the business by answering an ad for a group that became the famous (some would say infamous) G.L.O.W. – Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling. Mando Guerrero was their trainer and did 'twist one of the girls into a pretzel' in one of their earliest training sessions to teach them all a lesson…and half of the women did quit on the spot. Ivory however points to that incident as the moment where she became totally committed to pro wrestling as a career, and has credited Mando's 'intense' training philosophy for her success. _

_Despite Mando's serious and traditional approach however, G.L.O.W. is more remembered for its colorful (some might say 'goofy') characters than for any serious wrestling. But Ivory moved on from G.L.O.W. to other attempted women's promotions, where she got the chance to work with more traditional female stars like Wendi Richter, Luna Vachon and other names mentioned in the promo. _

_Eventually, after many years, Ivory became a worldwide star with WWE, the ONLY alumni from G.L.O.W. ever to achieve 'mainstream' success. But there's one thing even more impressive than that about her career. A distinction that no other woman will likely ever duplicate. _

_In the modern wrestling era, where women are hired almost solely based on their looks and youth, with actual wrestling talent an afterthought at best…Ivory, a woman with no national fame or following got hired by WWE and became a star…at the age of thirty-eight. (By way of comparison, currently WWE is looking to phase out all the women in their division over the age of thirty-two). _

_But, as I said before…PLEASE review. I had a horrible case of writer's block last week that depressed me greatly. Perhaps more feedback will prevent such a thing from happening again. _


	23. Chapter 23

On the day of the next television tapings, JBL made a point to seek out Ivory backstage a few hours before the show was set to begin. He found her in her dressing room.

"I was looking at the rundown for tonight," her told her. "Your promo is going to play right before the last match of the night."

"Great," she said. "It'll remind all the fans to tune in next week and watch me kick McCool's ass."

"Yeah…about that…" he replied hesitantly.

"Oh no," Ivory groused. "Not you too. Don't tell me you're going to try and get me to back out of the match?"

"Hey, I'm just concerned." He gave her a serious look. "Don't know if you've been paying attention, but the rumors are that Michelle has been hitting the gym extra hard. She's pissed off about you embarrassing her last week, and about Kong being suspended. I think she's seriously looking to hurt you. It's not just her flapping her lips…she wants to prove a point."

"So? What makes you think I can't handle her?"

JBL moved to stand right next to Ivory. She tilted her head up as he looked down at her so that their eyes could meet.

"I just don't want to see you hurt," he said in an uncharacteristically soft tone.

Ivory noted the lack of bombast in his manner. She saw emotions in his eyes that she'd not noticed before. What was more, she could see a reflection of her own eyes in his…and the look in them was not dissimilar.

Time seemed to slow down as they stood there. Ivory said nothing as unexpected emotions bubbling within her. But when it appeared JBL was about to speak once more, she finally found her voice and quickly cut him off.

"John," she said in little more than a whisper. "If…if you're about to tell me you're in love with me…so help me…I'LL PUNCH YOU IN THE THROAT!"

The loud outburst seemed to break the two out of the almost spell-like state they'd been in. JBL took a step back as his expression became incredulous. "Now wait one second here-"

"No," she continued. "I don't want to hear it!" She began pacing back and forth, clearly agitated. "You and I are co-workers and friends. We have a great thing going here…and if you try and screw it up by throwing sex into it-"

"Whoa!" he shouted back, trying to interrupt…but Ivory refused to stop talking.

"We aren't a couple of damn teenagers," she went on. "Besides, I happen to like being single. Also-"

"Will you just shut up a second and listen?" JBL exclaimed. "Way to jump to conclusions, Miss Egomaniac…but as it happens I have no interest in having that kind of relationship with you." He paused and shook his head. "You're way too old for me."

Ivory's expression shifted to one of outrage. "What? How dare you? I'm barely five years older than you."

"Yeah, and that means you're fifteen years older than the maximum age of any woman I'd date."

Her outrage became even more pronounced as her jaw dropped. Then she gave him a hard smack on his arm. "You are such a jackass! It's a wonder you'd get a woman of any age to date you."

JBL chuckled. "Actually, I'd think I'm quite a catch. Ruggedly handsome, great sense of humor…and I have more money than God. I do alright with the ladies."

Ivory rolled her eyes. "You're unbelievable."

"Indeed, I am. But we're getting away from the point. I came here to talk about your match with Michelle."

"I can handle Michelle," she huffed.

"Look, I'm only saying this because I know what it's like…wanting to come out of retirement," his tone softened once more. "You feel great…you still hit the gym…you know all the tricks you've picked up over the years that these kids haven't learned yet. It all makes you think you can go out there and beat the world." He frowned. "But it just doesn't work like that. I know."

"I thought you did pretty well the last time you came out of retirement," she said. "You won the Intercontinental Championship."

"But not the World Championship," he countered, utterly serious. "My last run as an active wrestler was not my proudest moment."

"Only you would consider an Intercontinental reign a failure."

He shrugged. "I'm just trying to tell you that it's not easy to go back. No matter how good you feel mentally…no matter how hyped up your emotions are…sometimes you don't realize that you're not as ready as you think."

Seeing his sincerity, Ivory lost all traces of defensiveness. "I appreciate your advice, John. But this is something I have to do. I'm not doing this to try and become a champion again or to return to the ring full-time. I'm doing this because Michelle is trying to end people's careers. That's a line you just don't cross."

The big man sighed. "There's no way anyone is going to talk you out of this, is there?"

"No."

"Well, just be careful," he said. "Like I said, I don't want to see you get hurt." He paused. "Because I might not be 'in love' with you…but I do love you."

She smiled and then embraced him. "Thank you John."

"Oh, and just so we're clear. Even though you're too old for me, that doesn't mean you aren't still attractive."

Ivory chuckled. "Fine. Thanks."

"Seriously," he continued with a mischievous gleam in his eye. "If we weren't friends, if I didn't know you and ran into you in a bar…you may be too old for me to date, but I'd be down for a one night stand with you. No question about it."

Ivory stepped back and put her hands on her hips. "Okay…we had a moment. Now you're ruining it."

"No, it's a compliment," he went on. "I'm not talking about a drunken one-nighter either. I'd do you stone cold sober."

"Get out!" she yelled, though she wasn't entirely successful in keeping the amusement out of her tone.

"See you out at the announcer's table," he said as he made his exit.

Ivory sat back down in front of her mirror and finished touching up her make-up. She mused over her broadcast partner's words and had to laugh.

Though a part of her had to acknowledge that, if they didn't know each other, she wouldn't have required any alcohol for a one night stand with him either.

******'******

Elsewhere backstage, Mickie had changed into her wrestling gear and was doing some stretching exercises in preparation for her match. She was by herself since Victoria was off in Jim Cornette's office, informing him of the stipulation she wanted for the match with Trish at _MegaClash_.

Thus, she had no backup when Angelina Love and Velvet Sky unexpectedly approached her.

"Look at that," Velvet said to Angelina. "It's 'Piggie' James."

"I feel so bad for you Vel-Vel," the other member of 'The Beautiful People' replied. "Having to get in the ring tonight with such an ugly excuse for a woman."

"Well, it's not like we're not used to it. Compared to us, everyone else is an ugly slob."

Mickie just looked at the two bimbos with contempt.

"Aww," Velvet mocked. "Are we upsetting you, 'Piggie'?"

"No, just disappointing me," she replied. "Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. But still…calling me 'Piggie' James, just like McCool used to? Can't you try and be little original?" She paused and then grinned. "Oh no…that's right. You two have never been anything other than second-rate McCool wannabes anyway."

"HOW DARE YOU?" Velvet shrieked shrilly. Angelina spat out a few choice expletives at the same time. Both women were sensitive about comparisons to Michelle, feeling that they had been the 'original' bad girls during their time in TNA, but that McCool had gotten more attention in WWE by 'copying' their mannerisms. Of course, the idea that McCool, despicable as she was, was simply more talented than they were had never occurred to them.

But while Mickie took satisfaction in mocking the two bimbos, she quickly realized that she may have made a tactical error when they advanced on her. She got ready to defend herself in a two on one situation…only to have another woman unexpectedly show up and rush to her aid.

It was Trish Stratus.

"Why don't you two save it for the ring?" the blonde superstar asked. "Or is this your way of admitting that neither of you has a chance against us one on one?"

"Puh-leeze," Angelina replied. "You're both going down tonight. First Vel-Vel will destroy 'Piggie'…and then I'm going to humble the legendary Trish Stratus on live TV."

A few more taunts were exchanged before Velvet and Angelina took their leave. It was then that Mickie turned to her unexpected ally.

"I'm sure you could have handled them yourself," Trish said as she flashed a friendly smile. "But no need to have them try for some cheap shots before your match tonight."

"Okay…stop it," Mickie responded.

"Stop what?"

"This…whatever it is you're doing." Mickie was noticeably flustered as she spoke. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Trish's smile faded, but her expression remained friendly. "I didn't come back here looking to start up old feuds. I may not be able to convince Victoria of that, but I thought maybe you'd be more reasonable."

"Why did you come back then? To win another title and more glory?"

"And what would be wrong with that?" Trish replied. "Isn't that what everyone else is here for? To win the gold? I don't think that's a bad thing. If it's okay for everyone else to try then why should it be wrong for me to do the same?"

"So you're here to be number one…as usual," Mickie grumbled.

The perfect, friendly expression on Trish face suddenly seemed like a mask. A mask that for the first time in Mickie's experience was slipping.

"Why?" the blonde asked in a less confident voice. A one word question that she made no attempt to elaborate on.

"Why what?" Mickie asked.

"Why do you all hate me?"

The question alone was surprising to Mickie…but the way it was asked even more so. For the look in Trish's eyes was not that of the perfect Golden Goddess. Instead of confidence there was uncertainty.

Uncertainty and…pain?

Then, in less than a moment, the mask was back on as if it had never slipped. As if it were not a mask at all.

"Well, I guess some things are just the way they are," Trish said. "Good luck with your match anyway."

Then she was gone.

And Mickie James felt more confused than she had in a long, long time.

******'******

Mickie said nothing about her encounter with Trish to Victoria. Indeed, she tried to put the whole incident to the back of her mind so that she could concentrate on her match with Velvet.

Fortunately, Mickie had little trouble with Velvet when they faced off in the ring that night. She showed no signs of ring rust despite her long hiatus, and her leg felt perfectly fine. She dominated her less talented foe and put her away with devastating jumping DDT…the _Mickie-DT_ as some called it.

As impressive as that was, Trish's match to close the show was even more astounding. For one thing, Angelina was much more formidable than Velvet…and Trish had been away from the ring for quite some time.

But one would have never known it from the way Trish wrestled. She was clearly on the top of her game…staying one step ahead of her opponent throughout the match. Indeed, at times it seemed almost as if Trish was toying with Angelina.

"There's no doubt that Trish hasn't lost a step," JBL commented from the announcer's table.

"Yes," Ivory agreed. "You see, sometimes wrestlers can come out of retirement and be just as effective as they ever were."

JBL rolled his eyes at his partner but then both turned their attention back to the match as Trish put a side headlock on Angelina and then raised up her right arm, signaling to the fans.

"Oh, we all know what's coming next," JBL said.

Trish ran towards the ropes, dragging Angelina with her. She jumped up while still holding on to the headlock and kicked her feet to spring back off the top rope towards the center of the ring…still holding on to Angelina and driving the hapless women face first into the mat. A perfectly executed example of Trish's finisher…the _Stratusfaction._

"Angelina's been one hundred percent 'Stratusfied'," JBL commented as the Trish pinned the woman for the three-count.

As fans cheered and Trish waved to the audience, Victoria's music started playing. The raven-haired beauty appeared at the end of the entrance aisle with a microphone in her hand.

"You look pretty happy with your win tonight, Trish," she said. "But at _MegaClash_ things are going to be different."

Trish borrowed a microphone from the ringside announcer to answer. "Really? I don't think so. When you and I face each other at _MegaClash_…just like tonight…I'll be the one standing victorious after the final bell rings."

"You sound confident about that," Victoria shot back. "And that's good. Because this match is going to prove once and for all who the better woman is, Trish. The woman who walks away with the victory there is going to get all the glory…and the loser…well, the loser is in for a special treat."

Trish raised an eyebrow at this. Obviously, Victoria had something she wanted to say about their impending match. The audience could sense it as well.

"At _MegaClash_," Victoria announced. "Trish, after I beat you…I'm going to take one hand and grab a handful of your hair. And in my other hand, I'm going to be holding these."

Victoria pulled her other hand out from behind her back and revealed a set of electric clippers.

The audience gasped. It was obvious where this was all leading.

"So what do you say, Trish?" Victoria asked. "You ready to face me…in a Hair Match?"

There was surprise and concern clearly evident on the blonde superstar's face. But there was also, after a few moments, a clear and steely look in her eyes. Whatever else anyone could say about Trish…no one could deny her competitive nature. She actually began to grin as she gazed towards Victoria.

"You want it? You got it," she answered. "There's going to be no question about who's walking away the winner from this match, Victoria." She paused and her grin widened. "And I am so going to enjoy shaving your head bald!"

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes: _**_Well, I'd wanted to get more writing done this weekend, but this is all I could manage. I hope it doesn't suck. _

_The bit about the BPs being ticked off at being compared to Michelle McCool is based on the all online comparisons being made between LayCool and the BPs. Look...EVERY group of bad girls that has EVER teamed up in pro wrestling has been some variation of 'stuck up girls that insult their opponents'. That is all that the BPs and LayCool have in common. The BPs are deliberately trashy and sexual, while LayCool goes for a 'prep school, mean girls' vibe and are strictly PG with their sexual references. And with all due respect to Angelina and Velvet (who I think make good heels)…if I were them I would NOT want to invite comparisons with LayCool…because LayCool is the superior act. There, I said it. Case closed. :P _

_Now, back to the story…what do you think of the latest developments? Please review. _


	24. Chapter 24

Trish Stratus had been working out for over an hour in the mostly empty gym, but no signs of fatigue were to be found in her eyes. Instead, there was the steely look of determination. This look was often present, though at the moment it was perhaps a bit more evident than usual.

Her thoughts were on the challenge that Victoria had made. A bold challenge that had raised the stakes for their match at _MegaClash. _The battle would be fierce…the aftermath would be dramatic.

The night would be epic.

And Trish Stratus would win. She knew this. It wasn't arrogance or over-confidence that fueled this knowledge. She would win because losing was not an option. She had to win this time…her reputation and pride were on the line in a way they'd never been before. This would be the first, and hopefully last, Hair Match of her career.

If she relished the idea of the humiliation that Victoria would suffer in the aftermath…well, that wasn't unreasonable, was it?

After all, Trish had come out of retirement willing to put the past behind her. In fact, that had been the deciding factor in her decision. She'd hoped that in the FWF things would have been different. For in all the triumphs and accomplishments in Trish's career, and there were so many, one thing had always managed to elude her.

Acceptance from her peers.

The wrestling industry had always been filled with volatile personalities and egos, this was no secret. And in such an environment, relationships were often mercurial. Enemies became friends, friends became enemies. The smallest of incidents could lead to raging vendettas, or simple acts of kindness could soothe years of hatred seemingly overnight.

But for Trish, such matters always seemed to travel on a one-way street. Every female friend she'd ever made had turned against her…and none of her enemies had ever seemed interested in making peace. She'd developed somewhat of a truce with Mickie James shortly before Trish had retired, but it wasn't like they'd interacted much after that.

No, Trish simply had no friends among her peers. And, for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why. She'd tried to be a nice person…hell, she WAS a nice person.

Not that she claimed to be a saint. She'd made mistakes. In her first feud with Molly Holly, Trish had said some things she now looked back upon with regret. Her insults to the other woman had been childish and petty…but they'd only come in response to an unprovoked attack.

Also, she had to admit that she'd behaved poorly after her break-up with Chris Jericho. She'd turned into a first class bitch for a time, she knew that. But once she'd worked through her anger, things had been fine. The fans had forgiven her. Even Chris had forgiven her. But the other women she competed against? They still looked at her with contempt…but then they always had, hadn't they?

Still, Trish had hoped that things would different in the FWF. When she saw how outstanding the company was and how much respect the women were given as professionals…eclipsing even her best years in WWE…she'd thought of new possibilities. Maybe in such an environment, where the women felt more appreciated, they'd be more willing to let go of old grudges. Maybe, for the first time, Trish would have been able to bond with her fellow professionals over their love of the sport.

Apparently, that was not to be.

So, instead Trish would content herself with glory. And the FWF had plenty of glory to provide…Trish appreciated that. Her battle with Victoria would be amazing. It would be epic! And Trish would win. It was what she did. It was who she was.

She was Trish Stratus.

******'******

At the next FWF show, Jim Cornette joined JBL at the announcer's table since Ivory would be competing that night.

"Glad to work with you, Corny," JBL said in welcome. "I hope all the fans listening in can appreciate this historic occasion. The first time you and I, two of the greatest broadcasters in wrestling history, have ever called matches together."

"I don't know," the shorter man replied wryly. "Don't you think we're 'too Southern'?"

"Well, the wrestling historians at home are probably laughing at that one," JBL commented with a chuckle. "But enough with the inside humor…we've got some great matches to see tonight."

The opening matches were indeed very good, but the anticipation that night was for the main event. Ivory was announced first, and she was met with thunderous applause as she made her entrance.

"A regular blast from the past," Cornette said. "I think the woman must know where the fountain of youth is…because she looks pretty much the same as the first time I saw her in a wrestling ring over twenty-odd years ago."

"She is something," JBL agreed. "But a lot of people are wondering if she can still perform at the same level she used to."

"That is the sixty-thousand dollar question," Cornette replied. "What do you think?"

"I think Ivory is tougher than a two-dollar steak," he answered. "But she's got a big task ahead of her tonight."

Michelle McCool made her entrance next to a resounding set of jeers. The smile on her face was cruel. She seemed eager to step into the ring tonight and she strode down the aisle as confidently as she ever had…the absence of her henchwoman, Kong, not seeming to bother her in the least.

Once the bell rang, Michelle charged her opponent. Ivory was ready and took her over with an arm drag. The champion scrambled back to her feet almost instantly and went for Ivory once more, only to fall to the arm drag once more. This sequence was repeated twice more to the delight of the crowd.

"Four arm drag take downs in a row!" Cornette declared. "Now that's old school!"

"Nineteen-eighty-seven just called," JBL added. "It wants its wrestling moves back."

The frustrated McCool didn't jump back to her feet after the fourth time she hit the mat. She instead settled into a defensive crouch and glared at Ivory with pure malice. Once the pace of the match was slowed both women moved warily around the ring, looking for an opening. They locked up and jockeyed for position…Ivory proved to be no pushover in this contest. Her strength seemed equal to the taller, younger woman.

Eventually, Michelle pushed Ivory back into one corner. The referee called for them to break cleanly, which Michelle made quite a show of doing…before taking a swing at Ivory. The veteran was ready for such a tactic however and blocked the blow with her forearm, before delivering a solid hit of her own to McCool's jaw.

The battle continued on with Ivory pressing her advantage. She stayed in control until she whipped Michelle into the ropes. When she rebounded she caught Ivory with a big boot that sent the elder woman crashing to the mat. Michelle then stomped on Ivory's legs a few times before dropping to the matt and applying a very painful submission hold.

"Heel hook!" Cornette exclaimed. "Look at the pressure she's applying!"

JBL frowned as he spoke. "She looks like she's trying to twist Ivory's foot right off the end of her leg. Ivory needs to get to the ropes."

"Too close to the middle of the ring for that," Cornette replied. "I think this might be it."

Straining to hang on, agony was clearly visible on Ivory's face. Nonetheless she was determined not to tap out. Unfortunately, she was unable to drag herself close enough to reach the ropes.

Yet, just when it seemed that she'd have no choice but to submit…Michelle released the hold. The crowd reacted in surprise even as Ivory lay on the mat and clutched her ankle. Her respite was short-lived however. Before Ivory had the chance to try and stand, Michelle kicked her and then began stomping on her legs once more. Then she locked a heel hook on again, this time on Ivory's other leg.

"She's just trying to punish her opponent," JBL said in an outraged tone. "This is ridiculous!"

"McCool is an evil woman, no question," Cornette added. "It might be best if Ivory just gave up so we could end this and get her out of the ring."

But Ivory would not give up. She suffered through the pain, though she was unable to find any way to escape the hold. As before, just when it seemed Ivory was at the limit of what she could take, Michelle released her.

"This is disgusting!" JBL complained.

Michelle pulled Ivory to her feet. McCool then ran to the ropes herself to bounce off and hit her foe with another big boot. This maneuver backfired, however. For Ivory, in desperation and acting on pure instinct managed to grab Michelle's raised foot before it could impact her. In one swift motion she pulled Michelle to her by the leg and hoisted the blonde up into a fireman's carry. Then Ivory threw herself backwards, sending Michelle crashing to the mat and landing on top of her.

"_Samoan Drop_," Cornette called out.

"A beautiful _Samoan Drop_!" JBL added with clear enthusiasm. "Come on, Ivory!"

The big cowboy wasn't alone in rooting for the veteran wrestler. The crowd became very animated as it cheered for her. Michelle was on the mat stunned, but Ivory was languishing herself from the punishment she'd taken.

But as the cheers filled the air, and thousands of people stomped their feet, adrenaline started to course through Ivory's form. She staggered to her feet, her body protesting. Her body however, was in the midst of a huge argument with her brain.

Pain? Agony? She denied such things. The noise in the arena…it sent images flashing before her eyes…memories.

Her first time in a wrestling ring. Her first match in front of a crowd. It all seemed like yesterday.

Her first victory. The cheers…the flashbulbs from the cameras.

The first time she wrestled the great Wendi Richter. All the matches she had with the woman before finally beating her. Images of this and other legendary opponents filled her thoughts.

The crowd continued to cheer and her body's protests continued to be ignored. Forty-nine years old? A dirty lie! Thirty-nine? Twenty-nine? Ridiculous! Lunacy! Father Time be damned! For Ivory knew…KNEW… she was nineteen. A nineteen year old who, impossibly, possessed wrestling experience that spanned three decades.

She was invincible.

When Michelle got back to her own feet, Ivory attacked. A series of forearm smashes rocked the taller woman. Ivory followed up with several knife-edge chops to Michelle's chest. She drove the champion back into a corner, then hooked her arm and tossed her back towards the middle of the ring with a perfectly executed forward beal. She waited for the blonde to try and stand, but before Michelle could straighten up…while she was still bent over…Ivory grabbed the sides of McCool's head. Her fingers entwined in Michelle's hair extensions just as they had two weeks earlier, and then…

"_POISON IVORY_!" JBL shouted.

The whole of the crowd were on their feet as Ivory hit her finisher. She covered her opponent and the referee counted.

One…

Two…

THREE!

Pandemonium ensued as Ivory leapt to her feet with her arms raised in the air. But amidst all the cheering, JBL and Cornette both noticed what many had overlooked.

"Michelle had her foot on the ropes," Cornette commented. "And the ref is just now realizing it."

Yes, even in her dazed state, Michelle had still had the presence of mind to stretch one of her long, slender legs towards the rope. Seeing this, the referee went to Ivory to inform her that the pin had not counted and the match would continue.

Ivory however was too caught up in her moment of victory to listen at first. It took a bit of time, but soon both Ivory and the cheering fans understood that the contest was not over.

Those precious moments were enough for Michelle to take advantage. She charged at Ivory and kicked her in the gut, doubling her over. Then the tall blonde grabbed her foe and lifted her from the mat, holding Ivory upside down.

"She's setting up for the _Faith Breaker_!" Cornette called out.

Ivory realized the direness of her situation and tried to escape before Michelle could complete her finisher. The veteran kicked her legs in the air forcefully trying to unbalance her foe.

And with Michelle still somewhat dazed from the _Poison Ivory_…she couldn't maintain her grip. She dropped Ivory…straight down.

Her head hit the mat, and then her neck twisted in a frightening manner as the rest of her body followed. Audible gasps filled the arena.

JBL cursed as he ripped off his headset and launched himself into the ring. He was so swift that neither Michelle nor the referee had even had the chance to move since Ivory had landed, he barked at both not to touch her as he put a hand on her head and immobilized it.

At the same time, Cornette was yelling furiously for paramedics to get to the ring.

And everyone in the building hoped that they hadn't just seen a woman suffer a broken neck.

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes: _**_Once again, I'd hoped to write more this weekend...but I could only finish this chapter. _

_The line about Cornette and JBL being 'too Southern' as a broadcast team is a reference to Cornette's time as an announcer in World Championship Wrestling. He was teamed with his good friend Jim Ross (regarded by many as one of the best play-by-play men in the history of the business) and both were instantly popular with the audience. Thus it was surprising when they were told they were going to be split up after a very short time. The reason? Company officials felt that the men's Kentucky and Oklahoma accents sounded 'too Southern' to appeal to a national audience. _

_A few years later, Ross and Cornette teamed up at the announcer's table for a much longer stint…this time for WWE. Apparently they weren't 'too Southern' for a huge audience after all. _

_But back to the story. What did you think? Please review. Feedback helps my fight against writer's block. _


	25. Chapter 25

The room was dimly lit.

That was the first thing that Ivory noticed when she opened her eyes and saw the ceiling above her. While there did seem to be some lights on in the immediate vicinity, they weren't very bright.

But she didn't dwell on this fact very long, as she was far more concerned with figuring out where the heck she was…not to mention how she'd gotten there. Hadn't she been in a match? Her thoughts felt a little fuzzy.

"Ivory?" the voice was gentle but full of emotion. It was Molly's. Ivory tried to turn her head towards the sound of the voice but found herself unable to do so. That's when she recognized the feel of the neck brace she was wearing. Some memory started to return even as Molly's face came into view.

"What happened?" the elder women asked.

Molly recounted the details, all of which made perfect sense to Ivory…fitting in very well with her own recollections. When Molly finished speaking, Ivory paused a long moment before saying anything else.

"So, I'm going to ask you something and I need you to tell me the truth," she began in a serious tone. "I feel a little woozy and I have no idea how much drugs I've had pumped into me." She paused again. "So are the drugs the reason I can't feel my arms and legs…or am I paralyzed?"

The brief look of surprise on Molly's face shifted for one moment to horror and then quickly to an almost frantic attempt at comfort.

"No, no," she said quickly. "You're fine! It's just the drugs. Everyone was a little worried at first, but the doctors ran all sorts of tests. You're going to be fine."

Ivory closed her eyes and took in a very deep breath. She inhaled and exhaled slowly for a few long moments. Finally she opened her eyes again, and her expression was less serious.

"Well, thank goodness for that," she cracked. "Last thing I wanted to do was ask you to go all '_Million Dollar Baby'_ on me."

A look of horror returned to Molly's face. "How can you say that? That's terrible!"

"I know," Ivory continued in an irreverent tone. "Eastwood's a great director but that whole movie was such a downer. Hated it."

"Ivory!" Molly exclaimed. She wondered if Ivory really had been paralyzed…if she would have seriously requested a 'mercy-killing' as the character in the movie had. "Never joke about something like that again!"

Seeing how upset her friend was, Ivory softened her tone. "Sorry."

Molly calmed herself and smiled at the other woman. "It's okay."

"Could you raise me up a bit?"

When Molly used the hospital's bed controls to adjust Ivory upwards into more of a seated position, the injured woman got a better view of her surroundings.

"What the hell?" she said rather loudly. "Is this a hospital room or a penthouse suite?"

Molly chuckled. "A hospital room," she answered. "I didn't know they had anything like this either. JBL insisted you get the best treatment though. He's been in and out of here all night. Lots of people have. We've just been trying to limit it to only so many people in here at once."

"I don't see why," Ivory commented as she glanced around the large, luxurious furnished room. "You could fit a small army in this joint."

"I should go tell everyone you're awake."

"In a minute," Ivory responded. "Stay and talk with me some more first."

Molly was more than willing to indulge her friend. The talk that followed quickly turned back to the match that had sent Ivory to the hospital in the first place.

"I had her beat," she complained. "I totally had her. But now it'll go down in the books as another win for McCool."

"She needs to pay for this," Molly said, her temper rising. "She could have…you could have been…"

"No," Ivory replied. "Let's be fair. Michelle may be a rotten piece of garbage…but this…this could have happened in any match. It was a freak accident."

"But she's-" Molly began to protest, only to be cut off.

"She does need to be put in her place," Ivory went on. "And the way to do that is to take the title from her." She gazed directly into Molly's eyes. "You need to take the title from her."

"Me?" The younger woman's manner was hesitant. "I'm not the number one contender."

"Only because you haven't tried to be," Ivory shot back.

"There are more important things to worry about right now than the championship," Molly argued. "The others should know you're awake. I'll-"

"You'll stay in that seat and listen to me," Ivory insisted. "There's nothing more important than this!"

Once she saw Molly wasn't going to leave, Ivory continued in a softer tone.

"You know the first time I saw you wrestle? You know what I thought?" she asked.

"You have told me this before," Molly said with just a hint of embarrassment.

"I saw this kid, this freaking child with a few months worth of training, who was already as good as anyone I'd ever seen in the business," the other woman went on. "You were a damn prodigy, Molly. It was amazing."

"You're exaggerating."

"Cut the modesty crap," she admonished. "But think on this. Did you ever wonder why I warmed up to you from day one? Why I saw a kid who was so talented and tried to help you instead of worrying about you showing me up…maybe taking my spot in the company?"

Molly shook her head. "You're just a nice person."

Ivory laughed. "Yeah, I'm a regular sweetheart."

"You always have been to me."

"Because you're special, Molly." She paused. "You know…I love this business. I have from the first day I laced up a pair of wrestling boots. And it's not an easy business to love…especially not if you're a woman…especially not when I started." She laughed softly. "But I do LOVE it. And I made it my life. There were some…tough choices. No family…no kids…just wrestling…and I'm fine with that. My only legacy is going to be my career."

Molly couldn't help but notice the seriousness of her friend's tone. "You have a lot to be proud of."

"You know, you've been laughed at sometimes…for being a wrestler. I know you have. Every woman on the roster has been. But you girls have no idea what it was like twenty years ago. It was so much worse. And that's what I think about when I remember the first time I saw you, Molly. I thought…here's a girl that's SO GOOD…that nobody will be able to look at her as a joke. They're going to see what she does in the ring and they're going to go, 'My God! What an athlete!' I was sure that's what would happen."

Molly was silent. This was something Ivory had never told her before.

"Then a little while later, Victoria shows up… older, little bit of a late start compared to you…but still, so talented. And then girls like Gail came along…and all of you getting the chance to show your stuff on national television…even if it meant playing second fiddle to Trish most of the time. I thought…I thought we were so close to getting real respect." She sighed. "But somehow it didn't happen. Women's wrestling ended up just being a sideshow again. That's way I never blamed you for quitting, Molly. There wasn't much point then, was there?"

"I didn't think so," she answered quietly.

"But now there is," Ivory said firmly. "The FWF can change everything, Molly. And that's why I snapped when Michelle went out of her way to injure the other girls. Melissa, ODB…none of you should have your careers ended now when there's a chance to finally have the respect we worked, sweated and bled for. But Michelle doesn't care about that. All she cares about is being champion…she doesn't deserve it, Molly. You do!"

The younger woman didn't know what to say in response.

"Like I said, I made the choice a long time ago not to have children. But if I had…if I'd had a daughter…" Ivory's voice started to crack with emotion. "And if she'd been a lot like you…I would tell her to go out and show the world just how amazing she is. Because you are amazing, Molly…and I so want you to realize that."

Tears began to fall from Molly's eyes as she bent over and hugged her friend and mentor. But even in the midst of the embrace, Ivory didn't relent from delivering her message.

"Take the belt from Michelle, Molly," she whispered into the younger woman's ear. "Take it!"

The answer came in a whisper as well…but one that seemed to fill the room.

"I will."

******'******

In the days that followed, Ivory had many visitors to her hospital room. Most everyone in the FWF were glad to know that she'd be alright…though she would have to be absent from her commentary duties for a short while.

Still, the drama of Ivory's injury was not the only matter that occupied people's minds. There was still work to be done, business to be conducted and matches to be scheduled.

Victoria and Trish each continued preparing for their impending showdown.

Mickie continued to worry.

One day she approached Victoria after the latter had finished a particularly grueling workout session.

"So what if you lose?" she asked without preamble.

Victoria looked at her in shock…then her expression turned angry.

"What if you lose and she shaves you bald on live television?" Mickie continued. "Then what?"

"I'm going to beat her!" Victoria shot back in rage.

"And I want you to beat her. I want you to win!" Mickie replied. "But I need to know what's going to happen if you don't. Have you thought about it?"

"I'm going to win!" she all but screamed.

"BUT YOU MIGHT NOT!" Mickie yelled back, her volume stunning Victoria…and herself as well. After a moment, she went on more quietly. "I've lost matches to women I should have beaten. So have you. Even the most one-sided fights sometimes end in upsets. And…let's face it…a fight with Trish isn't exactly one-sided. We might not like it…but it's true. She's hard to beat."

A sliver of uncertainty appeared in Victoria's eyes. The sight of it was almost unbearable to Mickie.

"I…have to win," Victoria said…an almost pleading quality to her tone.

"But if you don't," Mickie forced herself to say. "What then?"

Victoria turned away.

"If she beats you in this…there's no way to continue the feud," Mickie stated. "There will be nothing you can ever do that will make people believe you're a better wrestler than her."

"Why are you saying this to me?"

Mickie took hold of her lover by the shoulders and turned her around so they were once more face to face.

"Because I need to know if you can live with that…or if I'll lose you," she said.

Looking into the shorter woman's eyes, Victoria finally understood her worry. "You're worried that if I lose, I'm going to go all Psycho-Diva…maybe forever."

Mickie sniffed back some tears and nodded.

Victoria swallowed the lump that had quickly formed in her throat. "I understand why you'd think that." She paused. "I could…that could happen…under normal circumstances. But there's one thing that will stop it."

"There is?"

"Yeah," Victoria answered. "I'm looking at her.

Mickie's eyes widened even as Victoria moved her hands to the sides of her lover's face.

"I need to have this match," she explained. "And I WILL win. But if I don't…I will get through it…as long as you're with me."

"Promise," Mickie replied. It was not a question but a demand.

"I promise," Victoria said solemnly.

Mickie crushed her lips to the taller woman and kissed her for all she was worth.

When the kiss finally ended, Victoria spoke once more.

"I WILL win," she repeated. "But if I don't…will you still love a bald woman?"

Mickie started to respond at once but stopped herself. She grinned and her tone became mischievous. "Well, I suppose if we find a good wig, I MIGHT be able to handle it."

"Why you little," Victoria said before taking Mickie to the floor with a simple maneuver. She then pinned the surprised woman before applying a 'lip-lock' that was not exactly a regulation wrestling move.

Mickie didn't protest however.

******'******

On the day of the next television tapings, hours before the show was to start, a knock came to the door of Cornette's office. This was surprising, and somewhat annoying, as Cornette had clearly hung a sign that said he was not to be disturbed at the moment.

"Whoever that is, can't you read?" he shouted. "Come back when the door is open." He then prepared to continue the discussion he was having with Lance Storm, the only other person in the room at the moment.

But to both men's surprise, the door was kicked open a moment later. And their surprise turned to utter shock when they saw who had done the deed.

"Molly?" Cornette said in disbelief.

"I want Michelle," she said firmly. "For the title."

"You…you just kicked in my door!" Cornette exclaimed…still clearly stunned. It was because the door had been kicked in (that was a fairly common occurrence in the wrestling business)…it was the fact that Molly had done the kicking. This was not her normal behavior.

"Are you alright, Molly?" Lance asked.

"No," she answered calmly. "But I will be…as soon as I have my shot at Michelle."

Cornette shook his head to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. Then, once he was satisfied of the reality of the situation, he responded.

"And what makes you think you can kick in my door and demand a title shot?"

"I'm a two-time World Champion," she replied. "I haven't had a title match yet in the FWF…despite the fact that I'm undefeated. I haven't lost a single match since I came out of retirement."

"That is true," Lance commented.

"Yes," Cornette agreed. "But you haven't been facing the top tier competitors. Also…you kicked in my door! You! Molly Holly!"

"That should show you how serious I am," she responded.

"Well…I'll give you that," he said. "You got my attention."

"So you'll book the match?" she asked.

"As it happens, I was just trying to decide who should face Michelle for the title at _MegaClash_," he answered. "I'll take your request into consideration."

"What?" Molly's serious but calm demeanor shifted to one of anger. "Forget 'consideration'…I want my shot!"

"Sorry, but it takes a little more than vandalizing my office to get a title shot," he replied. "That door is coming out of your paycheck, by the way."

Molly seethed for a moment before pointing a finger towards the man. "I am getting this shot…one way or another!"

She then turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.

Lance looked towards Cornette. "She's a world class wrestler. I don't think it's unreasonable to give her a shot."

Cornette grinned. "Oh, I'm pretty sure she's going to get the match she wants."

Lance raised an eyebrow.

"Molly's often had the same problem you had in wrestling, Lance. Too damn quiet and agreeable. Not aggressive enough to go out and make a grab for what she wants. But now…with her this fired up…hell, I can't wait to see what happens next."

******'******

In another backstage area, another door was knocked on. The door to the dressing room of the FWF World Champion.

"Who is it?" Michelle asked from inside. But rather than answering, the door simply swung open.

Michelle leapt from her chair angrily as Kong, acting as bodyguard, went to confront the unexpected intruder…but both froze when they saw who it was.

The look on JBL's face was…intimidating, to say the least.

"What do you want?" Michelle asked.

"Just have a few questions," he said in a flat tone. "I see you've got a promo segment tonight in the ring. Just curious about what you're going to say."

"Well, what do you think I'm going to say?" she replied. "Just the standard sort of thing. I'll point out how I won my last match…and kept my promise about ending Ivory's care-"

She was interrupted the rather loud sound of JBL's hand slamming into the wall.

"Let's be perfectly clear here," he said, his words fairly dripping with menace. "You are going to cut a standard promo. You will say how you were victorious in your last match…and that's all. You can then brag about being better than any other woman on the roster…or say there's nobody that can stand up you…Hell, you can spew whatever garbage you want, woman. But…there are a few things you will not be saying…at all!"

"S-such as?" the blonde asked.

"You do not mention Ivory's name…or make any references to her. You do NOT claim that you've ended her career. You don't even allude to it. Understand?"

"That's ridiculous," Michelle protested. "Everyone knows she was my last opponent. And-"

"Woman, this is not a debate!" JBL interrupted. "I am telling you…for your own good…what you are NOT going to say tonight. Understand?"

"And what happens if I do?"

The man raised a hand to his temple and sighed before answering.

"You know, Michelle…where I come from, one thing every boy is taught growing up is that a real man would NEVER strike a woman." He paused. "No exceptions. No matter how evil a woman might be…a man never lays his hands on her."

He looked her directly in the eyes. "So understand…this is the one and only time that you do not want to test my manhood. Because just this once…I don't think I'd pass."

Michelle swallowed hard. "You wouldn't."

"Do you really want to find out?" The tone of his reply was icy cold. "Because a guy my size…if he snapped…he could do more than just end a woman's career."

******'******

Gail Kim was in the locker room when an obviously upset Molly entered.

"Hey," she called out to her friend and former tag team partner. "What's wrong?"

Molly explained how she was determined to get a shot at Michelle but that Cornette wasn't cooperating. In the midst of this explanation, another wrestler walked into the room.

"Yeah, you should totally get a shot at that skank," ODB told Molly as she interjected herself into the conversation. "Bitch has some serious payback coming."

"But how do I get a title shot?"

Michelle offered a match to anyone who could beat Kong in five minutes," Gail offered. "But that's not exactly a great option."

"Tell me about it," ODB cracked. "Odds are stacked in 'McDrool's' favor there."

Unbeknownst to the three women, two other members of the roster had entered the room and overheard some of the conversation.

"Well," an English accented voice called out. "We need to change the odds."

Molly, Gail and ODB turned to see Layla…with Beth Phoenix at her side.

"And I think I've got an idea," the British beauty said with a wicked grin.

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes: _**_I'm still alive and managed to update…though it wasn't easy. I've been having a hard time writing, but am determined to finish this story. Please tell me what you think of the latest developments. Reviews greatly appreciated. _

_In real wrestling news...some good and bad since my last update. I'll stick with the good...Victoria and Mickie are tearing things up in TNA. They've managed to turn the whole division around...I hope it lasts. In WWE, Natalya has won her first championship...and Beth Phoenix is back from injury. Hooray!_


	26. Chapter 26

Michelle was in the center of the ring holding a microphone. Kong, her two week suspension over, was by her side.

The fans in the arena booed and jeered at the duo, which only caused the satisfied smile on Michelle's face to grow wider.

"When are all you people just going to face the facts?" she asked in a mocking tone. "You may not like it, but the truth is…I'm better than all of you. And I'm better than every other wrestler back in the locker room. That's why I have this." She took the championship belt slung over her shoulder and raised it high above her head.

The crowd's booing increased.

"I am your World Champion, and you should respect that!" she declared. "And the FWF should treat me with proper respect by featuring ME as the main attraction at _MegaClash_. But no…I don't even have an opponent signed to a match yet."

Michelle was going to say more but she was interrupted when another wrestler's theme music began blaring over the area's sound system.

Molly Holly made her entrance and strode purposefully towards the ring.

"I may be going out on a limb here," Jim Cornette commented from his position at the announcer's table, a bemused grin on his face. "But I think Molly has her sights set on being Michelle's opponent."

"I think most people are aware that Molly is a long time friend of Ivory's," JBL added in a uncharacteristically somber tone. "So it's perfectly understandable that she'd want some revenge after last week's events. But she might want to think about going down to the ring alone to face both Michelle and Kong."

Nevertheless, Molly showed no hesitation at entering the ring and standing just a few feet away from the duo. By this time it was clear to see that she was holding a microphone of her own in one hand.

"You want an opponent?" she asked as she glared at the tall blonde. "Here I am."

Michelle laughed dismissively. "Oh…that is SO cute! Molly Holly wants a match with me."

Molly made no reply to the champion's insulting tone. She merely kept her a laser-like gaze fixed on the other woman.

"What makes you think you're worthy of facing me for my World's Championship?"

This question did provoke a response.

"If I listed all the reasons I'm entitled to a shot at you, we'll be here all night," she said curtly. "But I figured you'd try to find some excuse to run scared. So I'll play by your rules."

Michelle was quick to laugh off the idea that she would ever be 'scared' of Molly, but the challenger simply laid out a straight-forward proposal.

"You've made the challenge before that if anyone can defeat Kong in five minutes or less, they can have a title shot." Molly turned her gaze momentarily Michelle's bodyguard. "No problem. I'll beat her right now."

Michelle raised an eyebrow, paused a moment, and then all but exploded in laughter.

"You'll beat Kong in five minutes?"

A grim-faced Molly nodded.

Michelle continued to laugh and even Kong's expression seemed borderline jovial.

"That's a lot of confidence you have there," Michelle finally said. "It's sort of inspiring. Delusional…but inspiring. Still, tell me why I'd even let you make a challenge like this?"

"I thought you wanted a match at _MegaClash_?" Molly replied.

"I do. But it seems to me that you're the only one that stands to gain here. If you somehow beat Kong…" She paused to laugh. "You get a pay-per-view title match. But when Kong destroys you…what do I gain? Besides the entertainment of watching you get squashed?"

Molly was silent for a moment but her expression never changed. "Name it," she said. "Whatever you want, name your terms. If I don't win the title shot then you get anything you ask for."

The audience in the arena grew somewhat quiet at this statement.

"This is not a good idea," JBL commented.

"It doesn't sound like it," Cornette agreed.

In the ring however, Molly expanded on her unexpected words. "You want me banned from the FWF? Done. You want me to be your personal slave for thirty days? Done. Use your imagination. If I can't beat Kong, I'll go through with whatever you say. But if I win…I get you at _MegaClash_."

There was genuine surprise on Michelle's face. "You've lost your mind!" She laughed once more. "You've seriously lost your mind! I love it." There was a giddy gleam in her eyes as she considered the matter. "Anything at all? Hmm…actually both of your suggestions are pretty good, Molly. Your career…or having you wait on me hand and foot?" She paused again. "I know…let's combine the two."

"What do you mean by that?" Molly asked.

"If you can't beat Kong in five minutes, I get your contract. You don't work for FWF from that point on, you work for me…until the contract expires."

For the first time in the confrontation Molly looked uncertain. "But there's more than two years left on my contract."

Michelle smiled evilly. "You did say 'anything', didn't you?"

There was clear worry in Molly's expression now. But after a moment she said, "Okay."

"No way!" JBL looked over to Cornette at the announcer's table. "You can't allow this."

But before the other man could reply, Molly spoke again.

"Okay…but on one condition," she said. "If I'm risking that much, I don't want any question about how my match with Kong turns out. There's got to be a clear winner. No count outs or disqualifications!"

Michelle's face lit up with delight. "Are you asking for a no disqualification match with Kong?"

At the announcer's table JBL again looked to Cornette, but the FWF commissioner had a curious look in his eyes. "Let's just see how this plays out."

Michelle and Kong agreed to the match conditions and McCool called for a referee to come to the ring. As the official entered however, Michelle made no move to leave.

"You do realize, that with no disqualifications, there's nothing to stop me and Kong from double teaming you?" She chuckled ominously. "Didn't think about that, did you?"

Oddly, Molly's worried expression vanished in an instant to be replaced with a sly grin. "As a matter of fact…I did."

Michelle and Kong both were surprised by the sudden change in demeanor. They also noticed how Molly's gaze shifted focus to gaze over their shoulders.

"Wait, what's that?" JBL asked. "There seems to be some commotion in the crowd…Hey!"

"Gail Kim and ODB!" Cornette exclaimed. "They've come down to ringside through the audience!"

Indeed, the two women were outside the ring and looking up towards Michelle and Kong as the referee called for the match to begin. When the bell sounded, Molly grabbed Michelle from behind and sent her through the ropes to the two wrestlers. Kong was momentarily torn whether to go outside and aid McCool or to concentrate dealing with Molly. But in less than a moment, the fearsome woman's attention was faced with another distraction.

For once again, a wrestler's theme music sounded throughout the arena.

Beth Phoenix's music.

The crowd roared as the powerful blonde appeared and raced towards the ring…and she wasn't alone. Layla was running alongside her. In fact, the British beauty outpaced her friend and hit the ring first. She launched a flying dropkick at Kong at the same moment that Molly dove for the large woman's leg. The combination of attacks knocked her to the mat…and then Beth was on top of her.

The blonde rained a flurry of fierce blows down on Kong as the crowd went into a frenzy of excitement. Meanwhile, the combination of Gail and ODB were proving far too much for Michelle to deal with. They denied her any opportunity to even catch her breath, much less try and defend herself.

Kong however was not down for the count. Despite Beth's furious attack, the larger woman finally managed to toss the blonde off of her. As Kong rose to her knees Layla attacked from behind and tried to apply a sleeper hold. But Kong struck her with a hard elbow to the ribs before the Englishwoman could lock in the hold. When Kong was back to her feet, Molly faced her head on…but this proved to be a distraction rather than an actual attack. For while Kong looked to Molly, Beth approached from behind and gained a firm grip on the massive woman's arms.

"Double chickenwing!" JBL called out. "Beth's got her in a double chickenwing. But-" He trailed off.

"You don't think…" Cornette questioned. "She's not going to try to…"

In the ring Beth took a deep breath and exhaled with an aggressive snarl. Then…she lifted her foe straight up. The arena was filled with gasps from the audience…and howls of pain from the normally silent Kong .

"Look at that!" JBL exclaimed. "Look at it!"

"To all our viewers at home, this is not trick photography," Cornette added. "That is the largest woman in professional wrestling being held aloft by Beth Phoenix!"

As astounding as the sight was, it didn't change the truth of the old saying: What goes up must go down. And Kong did go down…very hard.

"_Glam Slam_!" JBL called out. "The biggest _Glam Slam_ in history!"

As soon as Kong hit the canvas, Molly went for a cover. To help ensure a three count, Layla threw herself on top of Molly to stack extra weight on Kong. Beth then leaned planted her hands on her friend's back and leaned on them to add even more weight.

The referee counted three…and the match ended at the official time of four minutes and three seconds.

"And there you have it," Cornette proclaimed. "At _MegaClash_ it will be Michelle McCool defending the FWF World Championship against Molly Holly!"

With the match ended, Gail and ODB tossed the battered Michelle back into the ring. She protested loudly about the 'unfairness' of the contest but was met with little sympathy...not even from Kong. For the large woman was now no longer concerned with Michelle's title. Grabbing a microphone, Kong broke her silence with a growling challenge.

"PHOENIX! I'll crush you, Phoenix! I'll crush you...at _MegaClash_!"

And with a smile that matched the fierceness in Kong's eyes, Beth answered. "You're on!"

******'******

With two more big matches added to the pay-per-view the anticipation for _MegaClash_ couldn't have been greater.

Ivory was overjoyed that Molly had secured a title match. She was also determined to be back at the broadcast table for the event.

Layla had been happy to have helped Molly outsmart Michelle. She'd known that her former partner always liked to manipulate situations to her advantage…so that she'd be easy to trick when circumstances seemed to be in her favor. But the aftermath of that scheme had also led to the impending clash between Kong and Beth. Though Layla had plenty of faith in her friend, she was also concerned at what kind of damage an enraged Kong could do. Still, Beth had been eager to face the dangerous woman one on one…perhaps it was best not to delay the inevitable.

Victoria and Trish were both spending every waking moment in training. And both were certain that they would emerge the victorious in their battle. Or…perhaps it was just that neither wanted to consider what defeat would mean.

Michelle was naturally incensed at the way things had gone, but she was determined to come out on top in the end. She stepped up her own considerable training regimen, sharpening her technical wrestling in preparation to face Molly's expertise in that area.

But she also kept to her usual tactics of psychological warfare.

******'******

"Does anyone really think Molly is going to win this match?" Michelle asked rhetorically during the final promo segment she recorded before _MegaClash. "_Oh sure, we always hear about how she's this great wrestling technician…but let's look at the record."

With a theatrical flourish, Michelle pulled out some note cards and acted as if she were consulting them…even though she already knew all she was going to say.

"Molly is a two time World Champion. Now that does count for something I suppose. But shouldn't the 'greatest female wrestling technician of all time' have more than two title reigns? Ivory had three. Hell, even that freak ODB had three." She smiled. "And of course…I've had five. But Molly only has two. And that's because, for all her so-called skill, she doesn't have what it takes to be a champion."

Michelle's tone became more pointed. "Let's face it, the only thing Molly is going to be remembered for is being a loser. Like when she lost in Madison Square Garden to Victoria. A loss so bad that she went on such a downward spiral that she had to quit the business. Talk about humiliating."

She laughed cruelly.

"Well, let me tell you something, at _MegaClash_ I'm going to take her to a whole new level of humiliation."

******'******

When it came time for Molly to respond to Michelle's promo, she spoke in her normal, straight-forward and somewhat soft-spoken manner.

"It is true that I've only had two reigns as a World Champion," she said. "Of course, just saying that does overlook some interesting facts. Like the fact that my second title reign was one of the longest and most illustrious reigns of this century. Or the fact that I won every one of my title defenses in the middle of the ring by pinfall or submission."

An extra note of assertiveness crept into her tone. "I even made Trish Stratus tap out. TAP OUT! How many women can say that?"

She paused before continuing in a calmer tone. "But yes, I did only have two reigns. But as I think about that, I think about how both those reigns started. Both times I became champion when I was…angry. And that doesn't bode well for Michelle…because she's got me angrier that I have ever been in my life. So she can keep talking about my two title reigns…for now."

She stared directly into the camera. "Because at MegaClash…I'm starting reign number three."

******'******

For their big pay-per-view, the FWF left its home arena and ventured to Chicago's United Center. The venue had more than twice as much seating capacity and had also been designed so that the acoustics of the building amplified the noise of the crowd.

The show was completely sold out.

When Jim Cornette stepped into the ring to greet the audience, the noise was deafening. As he waited for the din to subside enough for him to speak, he briefly thought back to his dinner with Victoria and Lance all those months ago and how the FWF had come to be.

None of them could have foreseen success on this level.

When he finally did speak, he made a few appropriate remarks in his own inimitable style…mostly thanking everyone who'd played a part in making the FWF what it was. He then introduced JBL, already at the announcer's table. After the applause for the big cowboy had died down, Cornette came to his final remarks.

"Now, I've had a heck of a lot of fun at the announcer's table with JBL for the couple few weeks, but with this being our first ever pay-per-view…I think we should have our original broadcast team calling the action, don't you?"

The crowd answered with great enthusiasm.

"Well, then let me bring out the 'Queen of the Microphone' herself," Cornette said. "Give a big welcome back to...IVORY!"

She stepped through the curtains and was nearly struck dumb.

Like everyone else backstage, she'd already heard how noisy the crowd could be. She'd expected a big response…not out of any inflated ego…the building was just that loud.

But this…this wall of sound that threatened to knock her over. Ivory hadn't anticipated this.

She'd heard Calgary cheer for Bret Hart, she'd heard New Yorkers explode for Hulk Hogan. She'd been in North Carolina and felt the planet itself tremble when Ric Flair entered an arena.

All of that was nothing compared to the roar of the crowd here. A roar that was all for her.

She tried not be show how overwhelmed she was when she walked down towards ringside. She'd intended to go straight to her post, but both Cornette and JBL motioned for her to step into the ring first and say a few words to the audience. Indeed, with the kind of ovation she was getting it was only logical that she should do so.

She went into the ring and the cheering continued. It felt like it would never end. And Ivory tried to take that time to prepare herself for when she finally would have a chance to speak. She was determined not to choke up even though there were so many emotions welling up within her.

Finally the crowd roar lessened enough for her to speak, and she knew she'd be able to handle it.

But then the chant started…and she knew there was no way to stop the tears from falling.

If they'd chanted her name, she could have handled it. If they'd been saying: 'Welcome back'...she could have dealt with it. But this? How could one prepare for this?

How could one prepare for thousands upon thousands of people shouting out with one voice and repeating three simple words over and over?

"YOU'RE STILL HERE! YOU'RE STILL HERE! YOU'RE STILL HERE!"

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes: _**_Please review. We've finally reached MegaClash. The action starts next chapter (including some undercard matches). I had an extra day this weekend to write, and couldn't take advantage of it...which has bummed me out. I hope this chapter was not a letdown. Please give me feedback. _

_In a real wrestling note...GOOD LORD! Did you all see Mickie and Victoria's matches last week? Can we just declare it official that Victoria is superhuman or something? _


	27. Chapter 27

The ovation for Ivory continued unabated. Despite her best efforts, she was too emotional to speak. Seeing this, JBL left the broadcast table.

"Dang it, Corny!" he yelled into his microphone, addressing Cornette. "Are we just going to stand here all day while Ivory hogs all the spotlight? Honestly, the woman's ego doesn't need any more stroking!"

The sarcasm in his voice gave Ivory something to focus on besides the crowd noise.

"Ego? You're one to talk about ego!" she replied to the big cowboy. "Your head's so swollen you have all your hats custom made!"

The bickering caused the audience cheers to shift to laughter…and this gave Ivory the chance to exit the ring. She continued to throw verbal jabs at him on her way to the announcer's table...though she did take his arm and leaned heavily on it as JBL escorted her to her seat.

"Are you okay?" he asked after switching off their microphones for a moment.

"I'm fine," she answered. "The fans just took me by surprise."

"I don't mean that. You were a little unsteady getting out of the ring. Didn't the doctors say you should use a cane for a few days."

She laughed. "I'll use it at home. I'm not going to be seen hobbling around at the FWF's first Pay-per-view!"

"You are the most mule-headed-"

She cut him off by switching her microphone back on diving right into commentary.

"The crowd's electric," she said. "I'm betting they can't wait to see tonight's opening bout!"

******'******

There were some in wresting that considered a show's opening match to be an undesirable assignment. But for a show like _MegaClash_ there were many women on the roster that were dying to be that night's 'curtain jerkers'.

Certainly Madison Rayne was happy to be there. Young but ambitious, she was confident she had a long and glorious career ahead of her. Being in the _MegaClash_ opener would no doubt be one of many highlights she'd have listed on her resume. Certainly it was the biggest show she'd ever taken part of to date. And though she was a thoroughly conniving competitor with a bratty disposition, the crowd was so excited that she actually got some cheers as she came to the ring.

But those cheers were eclipsed handily by the reaction that ODB got when she came down the aisle. Knowing how the wild brawler always got a good rise from the crowd, Cornette had made a point to place ODB in the first match.

Indeed, the crowd did appreciate her as she jawed with the fans at ringside. They appreciated it even more when she dodged an attempted sneak attack by Madison before the bell had even rang. The pounding that Madison got for her efforts, which culminated with a thunderous fallaway slam and a three count, was also well received.

And when ODB then took a celebratory swig from her lucky whiskey flask before emptying the rest of it over her groggy foe's head…that definitely kept the audience in high spirits.

******'******

The next match was designed to involve as many of the women on the roster as possible. A twenty woman Battle Royale. But instead of being fought until there was only a single victor…this match would go until the last TWO women were left in the ring. Those two would then immediately face off in a match, the type of which would be determined by a spin of the 'Wheel of Risk and Reward'. The wheel had been altered slightly for the night though. The Hair Match option had been removed since such a result, though dramatic, would end up being overshadowed by the main event between Trish and Victoria.

During the Battle Royale, Velvet Sky and Angelina Love used teamwork to help one another…seemingly unconcerned that if they were the last two remaining that they'd have to square off as opponents. When it got down to the final four, the 'Beautiful People' found themselves in the ring with Layla and Melina. Having seen the tactics of Angelina and Velvet, the other two women quickly decided to join forces themselves and successfully eliminated the rule-breaking blondes.

When the wheel was spun for Layla and Melina's match however, the result ended up being a "Slime Time" bout…a rematch from their encounter months earlier in the FWF's first championship tournament. The battle was action packed with the crowd cheering both women equally. In the end Layla again went for her sleeper hold. But remembering how it had turned out the last time, Melina acted quickly when she felt the move being locked on her. She pushed herself backwards, slamming Layla into the corner to break the hold. Melina followed up by pulling Layla out of the corner while she was still stunned and hit her _Sunset Split_ move to pin the British beauty.

Melina took great delight in dumping the bucket of slime over her foe afterwards. And though Layla didn't bear any grudge…she did shriek comically due to the chilly temperature of the slime.

******'******

The next match was for the Tag Team Championship. The 'Riot Grrlz_'_, Roxxi and Jillian, had held onto the belts since first winning them. But now they were finally facing the formidable team of Natalya and Taylor Wilde. The battle was an exciting affair between two well-matched teams. The number of near falls left the audience breathless. Numerous times it seemed that one team had secured victory only for the other to battle back. Towards the end, Roxxi and Natalya had managed to knock each other nearly senseless and both instinctively went to tag their partners. Roxxi managed to reach Jillian first…and she leapt in the ring just in time to grab Nattie from behind and prevent her from tagging out.

Jillian finished Nat off with a full nelson facebuster…ensuring that the reign of the 'Riot Grrlz' would continue for the time being.

******'******

After all this first rate action, the time had finally come for one of the most anticipated battles of the night…Beth Phoenix versus Awesome Kong.

Backstage, Layla patted Beth on the back and offered words of encouragement…along with a request that she 'be careful'.

Beth smiled and gave the smaller woman her customary pat on the head. "You worry too much. And your hair's still wet."

"Hey it wasn't easy to wash all that slime out," Layla replied. "And don't change the subject."

"Okay, okay…I'll be careful."

As it happened, Beth was unharmed at the end of the match…but also unsatisfied. Both she and Kong had been so eager to finally get their hands on one another that their mutual aggression proved to be more than the ring could contain that night. Early in the match Kong had knocked Beth through the ropes and then followed to press her attack on the outside. The blonde had battled back and both women had become so wrapped up in trading blows that neither paid attention the referee's count. The match ended in a double count out much to the disappointment to the crowd.

One thing was certain though…Kong and Beth would face each other again. A look at either of their expressions left no doubt of that.

******'******

Michelle felt little more than contempt for the way that the Beth/Kong match had ended. This was what her bodyguard had abandoned her for? It was hardly an epic clash.

But that really didn't matter to Michelle. All that mattered was keeping her championship. And she was ready. Nobody was going to take the gold from her…least of all Molly Holly.

******'******

Normally, at least by 'old school' standards, a World Championship match would always be the main event of the evening and have the final spot on the card. But while Jim Cornette agreed with this sentiment strongly, even he felt tonight would have to be an exception. The culmination of the decade long feud between Trish and Victoria…and the spectacle of the head shaving that would be part of it…was going to be the finale of _MegaClash_. Anything else would be anti-climactic.

But this didn't mean that anyone was questioning the importance of the Michelle/Molly bout. The sense of anticipation seemed to build more and more as fans waited for the combatants to make their entrance. The challenger came out first.

"Yes! Go Molly! This is your night!" Ivory cheered unashamedly.

"You know…I can't quite tell where your loyalties lie for this contest," JBL remarked wryly.

Michelle came out to the largest chorus of boos yet. She smirked disdainfully at the crowd as she made her way confidently to ringside. The smirk went away but the disdain remained when she climbed into the ring and looked at Molly.

The challenger, for her part, simply stared back with a serious look in her eyes.

The bell rang.

Michelle, despite her arrogance, had trained extensively for this match. She was in top form and moved confidently as she initiated the first lockup with Molly. The two went quickly into an exhibition of classic chain wrestling…one move flowing into the next…reversal after reversal. The action was remarkably smooth, almost as much ballet as combat.

The champion was nearly flawless.

The challenger however, was perfection.

"This is some beautiful action," JBL commented. "But this isn't the Olympics. If it were, Molly would be ahead on points...but in the end, that's meaningless."

"That's true," Ivory conceded. "The only way the championship is going to be won is by pinfall or submission. But Molly will do it."

"Your journalistic neutrality is inspiring," JBL laughed.

"You know you want to see McCool lose too," Ivory countered.

He shrugged. "Who doesn't?"

In the ring, Michelle was frustrated. She was wrestling a fine match but finding no way to gain even a hint of an advantage. She'd hoped at the start to embarrass her foe by showing Molly up at her own game, but that was obviously not happening.

So she decided to turn to more familiar methods.

"Rake of the eyes by Michelle," JBL called. "That caught Molly off guard."

The champion followed this up with a vicious boot to the side of Molly's head, knocking her to the ground. She then went for her foe's legs, trying to lock in the heel hook. But Molly reached back with both arms and soon the two women were both struggling as all their arms and legs were shifted and twisted in a constant changing of positions. Things soon turned in Molly's favor.

"Indian deathlock!" Ivory exclaimed. "Molly's got the Indian deathlock on her!"

"How in the hell did she…?" JBL began before trailing off. "I've never seen anyone manage to apply this move starting from the position Molly was in!"

In the ring, Michelle writhed in agony as she tried to extract her legs from the painful hold. Finding little success, she instead lay back on the mat and stretched as far as she could…using her considerable height to her advantage and reaching the ropes, forcing the hold to be broken.

Molly rose quickly while Michelle pulled herself to a standing position using the ropes. The champion's legs were still sore but she tried to catch Molly off guard with a sudden attack. But the challenger caught the blonde's swinging arm and then unexpectedly raised it upwards and then bent it behind Michelle's head. It was an unusual position, and one that the champion could easily get out off…but Molly only needed here her there for one moment. The challenger took her free hand and launched a straight, precisely aimed blow to Michelle's ribcage.

To the surprise of most fans, the blonde's eyes widened in a look of complete shock…then she dropped to the canvas…gasping desperately like a fish thrown onto dry land.

"A _Heart Punch_?" JBL exclaimed. "Was that a freaking _Heart Punch_?"

Ivory herself was too stunned to answer at first, though she recognized the move as well.

"I repeat," the cowboy went on. "Did Molly freaking Holly of all people just use the _Heart Punch_?"

"Y-yes," Ivory finally replied. "Yes, she did. You know…she's studied countless moves. It makes it hard to defend against her attacks."

"Well, it would be damned hard to defend against this…seeing as how nobody's used a _Heart Punch_ since before either Molly or Michelle were born!" JBL said in astonishment before pausing. "Didn't Ox Baker kill someone with a _Heart Punch_ once?"

Ivory smacked her forehead. Of course…Ox Baker. The long retired wrestler was a venerable fixture at autograph shows and had crossed paths with Molly and Ivory many times at such events. A talkative and outgoing fellow, he'd often offered to teach the 'secrets of the _Heart Punch_' to both women. Ivory hadn't realized that Molly had ever taken him up on the offer.

But while the two commentators were still reeling from the surprise of seeing the revival of a move from the 'Golden Age of Wrestling', Molly had not immediately followed up on her attack. Instead of trying to pin Michelle, she had instead gone to the corner of the ring and climbed to the top turnbuckle. She waited there patiently as Michelle began to recover and shakily got back to her feet.

"Yes…yes," Ivory said breathlessly as she realized what was coming.

JBL came to the same conclusion. "Oh, I think Michelle's about to go for a ride…"

Molly leapt off the turnbuckle, somersaulting in the air.

"…on the _Molly-Go-Round_!"

Finishing her somersault, Molly crashed into Michelle with her legs split…driving the champion to the mat and landing atop her in a seated position.

The referee counted three and Ivory jumped up from her chair. "She did it! Molly is the new World Champion!"

Despite her excitement, Ivory was still unsteady from her recent injuries and started to fall even as she continued cheering for her friend. Fortunately JBL caught her and put her back into her seat.

"Yes, yes…we have a new champion!" he commented as he tried to keep his emotional colleague in her chair.

Meanwhile the crowd shouted its approval as the belt was handed to a triumphant Molly. She held it above her head and smiled broadly…before exiting the ring and rushing towards the announcer's table. She hugged Ivory as the ovation continued.

******'******

The crowning of a new champion was, naturally, a very significant event. In this case it was also something that most of the FWF roster welcomed. Michelle was not exactly popular after all.

But at the moment, for three particular wrestlers, the title change was not the foremost matter of importance.

It was the next match, the final match of the night, that occupied their thoughts.

Victoria was looking in the mirror and musing on the red streaks in her raven hair. She'd just had the color redone the night before and she thought it looked particularly nice.

And it was going to look just as nice after the match…because it was still going to be there.

Mickie stood just a few feet away from her lover. She could tell from the look on Victoria's face that she wasn't allowing herself to even consider defeat. Mickie wanted her to win too…more than she could say. But she also knew that anything could happen in professional wrestling, no matter how prepared one had felt. Mickie had felt prepared earlier tonight after all, but it hadn't stopped her from being eliminated from the Battle Royale.

And the stakes here were so much higher.

In another dressing room, Trish Stratus was stretching her arms and taking some deep breaths. She had a smile on her face…and not for the benefit of appearances. No, she was smiling because she was ready. As ready for this match as she'd ever been for any match in her career. And what a match it would be! The final showdown between the most storied rivals in the history of women's wrestling. A match that would end with the loser utterly humbled. It was going to be epic! The most epic moment of a career that had no shortage of epic moments.

Yes…Trish Stratus was ready.

And when Trish Stratus was ready…Trish Stratus didn't lose.

******'******

"I love you," Mickie said before kissing Victoria.

The taller woman didn't answer verbally but did smile in a way that returned the message. Her expression then returned to one of serious focus as she made her way out towards the crowd and the ring.

While Victoria was being introduced, Trish emerged from her dressing room and waited in the backstage area. Mickie saw her and a flurry of thoughts entered her mind.

Thoughts about Victoria and how much winning tonight's match meant to her…and about how badly losing could be.

And yet…through all that…there were still thoughts about that moment not so long ago when she'd seen real pain in Trish's eyes.

She went over to Trish and spoke without preamble.

"I really want you to lose tonight," she said simply. "I'm going to be hoping that's what happens."

The blonde gave her a hard look. "I think you'll be disappointed."

Mickie went on as if she hadn't heard the comment. "I want you to lose. But I've been thinking about it…and I want you to know…" She paused and her tone softened. "I don't hate you."

Trish's eyes lost their hardness.

"We're not friends," Mickie said. "I don't know if we could ever be friends. But win or lose tonight…I don't hate you."

The blonde's response came in little more than a whisper.

"Thank you."

But a moment later, Trish's game face was back on…confident smile included.

"I am going to win this though, Mickie. It's going to be epic."

And as Trish made her way out to be introduced…Mickie wondered if she'd just given her love's opponent a dangerous morale boost.

******'******

Right away there was one thing that set the match apart from all of the previous clashes between Trish and Victoria.

The audience.

Trish had been beloved by the fans for almost her entire career. Victoria could not say the same. But tonight the crowd reaction was telling.

It was completely and unquestionably…equal.

The support for Trish in the arena was clear, but so was the support for Victoria. And it wasn't even a split crowd…EVERYONE seemed to be cheering for both.

Victoria couldn't help but take this as a moral victory. The smile of satisfaction that came to her lips was clear. But she also knew that there was only one victory that mattered tonight…the one who had her hand raised at the end of the match.

Once the bell sounded, things began quickly. Despite not having faced each other for some time, they were each so familiar with the other's moves. Every time one of them began a maneuver, the other could anticipate what was coming. This didn't' result in the same sort of technical counters that had happened at the start of Molly and Michelle's match…instead Trish and Victoria constantly found themselves stopping in the midst of a maneuver and backing off to regroup. In spite of this, the crowd stayed completely engaged in the action. Each aborted attack only heightened the tension and anticipation for what would happen next. Who would go for broke first? And would such an attempt gain the advantage or play into the other woman's hands?

Victoria finally tried to end the stalemate through sheer brute force. Knowing she had both strength and weight and her favor, she charged at her rival and attempted a clothesline. Though she swung her arm like a scythe, Trish avoided the blow with her classic 'Matrix' backbend. Victoria cursed herself for not seeing it coming…and though she knew the perfect way to attack while Trish was in that position, she had to stop her own forward momentum first.

But by the time she'd succeeded in doing so, Trish was ready with her famous roundhouse kick.

"_Chick Kick_!" Ivory called out. "She nailed Victoria right upside the head!"

Indeed, the impact had been solid. It was something of a miracle that Victoria stayed on her feet. Nonetheless she was clearly staggered and thus helpless to prevent Trish from grabbing her in side headlock. The blonde turned towards the ropes and made her trademark signal to the audience.

"She's going for the _Stratusfaction_ already?" JBL said in surprise. "Could this end the match right here?"

Victoria was still dazed…but she'd been in this position so many times in matches with Trish that she probably could have recognized it if she were comatose. Unfortunately Trish was already racing them both full speed towards the ropes, there was no way Victoria could stop that.

But when Trish leapt up to spring her feet off the top rope, Victoria grabbed the blonde's waist and, with all her might pushed up and forward.

Trish overshot the ropes, Victoria's push combined with her own momentum sent her sailing high in the air. Her headlock on Victoria was broken…and though this was painful for the taller woman it was far less traumatic than what Trish felt when she landed outside the ring with her head smashing into the guard barrier in front of the first row of the audience.

The audience gasped. Victoria leaned heavily against the ropes and tried to clear her head. The referee began counting.

"Can Trish get up after that?" JBL asked. "Are we going to see this end with a count out?"

As the ref's count grew higher, that seemed a distinct possibility. And Victoria had just enough time to wonder if that would be a good thing? A victory was a victory…it would result in Trish losing her hair…but a count out wasn't as decisive as a pin or a submission.

But at the last possible moment Trish surprised everyone by staggering to her feet and sliding back into the ring to beat the count. She was still obviously hurting though and moving slow.

Victoria had no trouble hoisting her up on her shoulder and delivering a _Spider's Web_ slam. She covered Trish.

One…

Two…

Trish got a shoulder up.

It was surprising after all the punishment she'd taken…but the blonde was nothing if not tough. Victoria got back to her feet and positioned herself for a standing moonsault. She hit it perfectly and then hooked Trish's leg.

The ref counted again.

And again…Trish's shoulder came up before the three count.

Victoria was more than surprised now.

She picked up Trish and hit a snap suplex. She didn't go for the cover this time but instead stepped through the ropes onto the ring apron and then slingshoted herself back in to perform a picture perfect somersault leg drop onto the battered blonde.

Trish didn't raise her shoulder this time…but was close enough to reach out and grab the bottom ring rope before the ref could count three.

"I don't believe this!" Ivory exclaimed.

Victoria felt anger now as well as disbelief. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening. She had Trish beat! She'd beaten Trish before with less than this!

She picked up Trish again, this time intending to go for the _Widow's Peak_.

And Trish punched her.

It wasn't the hardest punch she'd ever felt from Trish…but how could the blonde even raise her arms at this point?

But before that question could be addressed…Trish punched her again.

Victoria staggered back a step and tried to strike back. Amazingly, Trish raised an arm to block the swing and hit Victoria a third time.

The dark haired beauty was more shocked than hurt but the end result was the same. Victoria's arms dropped to her sides as she stood in the middle of the ring. Trish backpedaled away from her to the ring ropes…and then rebounded straight at her and hit a _Thesz Press _to knock Victoria to the mat. Trish rained punches down on the taller woman's head. Victoria was knocked senseless for a moment. So much so that it took her a moment to realize that when Trish's blows stopped, she was going for a pin attempt. Victoria barely raised a shoulder before the referee could complete the three count.

Adrenaline drove Victoria to scramble back to her feet. She had to end this. Trish wasn't some super-woman. She shouldn't even be on her feet now. Yet she was. Standing there, that steely look that was so often in her eyes blazing more intensely than ever before.

And suddenly, for the first time, Victoria truly understood what that look was.

It wasn't the will to win. All great competitors had that.

But the will to win usually came with a certain understanding. An urge to overcome and defeat limitations.

Trish Stratus did NOT have this urge. She didn't need it.

Because Trish Stratus didn't know she had limitations.

What Victoria and the other women of the FWF strove for, Trish took as a matter of course. It wasn't arrogance. It was an unfailing belief in self. The power of positive thinking jacked up beyond all reason. It was madness.

It was beautiful.

Trish Stratus succeeded because she honestly didn't understand what failure was.

And that was why she was on her feet now. In any other match, Trish could have lost…and like every time she'd lost in the past she would have bounced back stronger than ever, totally unaffected. But this time, because of the stipulation, with all pride and reputation at stake…this time Trish HAD to win. There was no other option available to her.

For the briefest of moments, Victoria let the whole scenario play out in her mind. Trish would win. A victory that would see her shrug off enormous damage to defeat a fearsome foe. The audience would love every minute of it and the legend of Trish Stratus would become that much greater.

But damn it…Victoria's dream was to carve her own legend…not to play the supporting role in someone else's...no matter how impressive it might be.

So she stood and met that steely gaze and struck back. Blow after blow, again and again, Trish matching her every step of the way. Victoria's arms grew heavy and pain shot through every fiber of her being.

Still, the look in Trish's eyes didn't falter.

From the deepest recesses of her psyche, Victoria felt a dark and familiar presence well up.

_Let me have her!_ the Psycho-Diva screamed. _I can beat her! _

And after the briefest of pauses Victoria answered: _NO!_

She would not let this battle be tainted. She'd stand or fall on her own merits. For Mickie's sake…for her own sake…even for Trish's sake. This battle was going to be won by the best woman…not by some raging monster.

That decision proved to be the turning point. It bolstered Victoria enough to keep going, ignoring pain and fatigue. To keep going until the fire in Trish's eyes started to flicker…which egged Victoria on even more.

Trish's blows became slower and weaker. Victoria launched a kick to the blonde's gut that doubled her over. As Victoria reached to grab Trish, the smaller woman managed to raise her face just enough so that their eyes met once more.

There was no steel left now. There was fear.

And they both knew how the match was ending even before Victoria lifted her foe up for the _Widow's Peak_.

"No," Trish's cry came out as a sad whimper as she was held aloft. A moment later, she had crashed down to the mat and Victoria was on top of her.

The referee counted three and the audience erupted with a sound that was equal parts celebration and denial…with good measures of shock and disbelief mixed in.

"My God, she did it," JBL said in a voice that was hoarse from yelling.

"I…wow," was all Ivory could add.

******'******

In the locker room, virtually all of the wrestlers were as shocked as the fans. It wasn't that many of them had thought that Victoria couldn't win, but at the same time the reality of the situation was still so…unbelievable. Trish Stratus had been convincingly and truly beaten…and now she was going to have her head shaved.

Molly found herself torn by strong warring emotions. Watching any other woman go through such a shearing would be hard for her. Watching Victoria conducting the shearing would be nigh impossible.

But Trish stratus was to be the victim this time…and Molly's history with Trish was…noteworthy.

The newly crowned FWF World Champion looked at her belt and then decided to keep watching the scene on the backstage monitor.

******'******

Watching on another monitor backstage, Mickie James was understandably relieved. Victoria had won. Everything was going to be fine now.

Though she was surprised at just how badly she felt when the cameras zoomed in on the lost and frightened expression on Trish 's face.

******'******

Trish hadn't tried to run as the barber's chair had been brought into the ring. Indeed, she hadn't even tired to rise to her feet. She'd kept her eyes cast downward to the mat…the mat where her shoulders had been pinned just a few short minutes earlier. Every few moments she'd reach up with one hand and run it through her long golden tresses…fully aware that this was an action that she'd soon not be able to repeat for a long time.

Victoria debated inwardly on if she should try to guide Trish to the chair or if she should just wait for her to act on her own accord. In the end it was the referee who'd taken the defeated woman gently by the arm and helped her to stand. She looked so small and weak…so unlike her usual self.

Wrestling's Golden Goddess seemed to be no more.

She said nothing as she slowly sat down in the chair.

Victoria approached her and tried to think of something to say. It was bizarre really. For Victoria did feel triumphant. She'd won against her greatest rival…fairly. But she hadn't expected to feel such sympathy for her rival. Sympathy so intense that it almost approached a sense of guilt.

And yet…she also felt a powerful desire to take the first pass with the clippers. Not out of any malice…no, she could say that honestly. It was more a desire to see this ordeal through to the end. To make it all seem fully real…which it still did not quite seem to be. Certainly the somber silence that had fallen over the audience was not helping in that department.

So at last, Victoria had simply picked up the clippers and gotten down to business. Trish shuddered when Victoria placed a hand on her head and then let out a few audible gasps when the clippers made their first pass through her blonde locks.

It was the sight of the first bits of hair falling to her lap and around her feet which caused the tears to start. They did not come out in a trickle either. Trish Stratus sobbed on live television in a way that nobody could ever have imagined seeing. But she couldn't stop herself. She'd never experienced this kind of loss and she had no idea how to deal with it. Nothing could be more humiliating than this.

To make matters worse, the audience began applauding. How could they all turn on her like this? Wasn't it enough that she'd lost? That she'd failed? Why did they all have to enjoy it so?

After the final pass with the clippers was made, Trish jumped out of the chair and ran from the ring. She was almost back to the locker room when someone emerged and blocked her path.

It was Mickie.

"Trish, wait-"

"What? You had to come out and gloat too?" Trish cried. "I thought you said you didn't hate me?"

"Will you listen a second?"

"No, get out of my way!"

"Listen!" Mickie repeated. "The fans-"

"I can hear them!" Trish yelled. "They're cheering for what your girlfriend did to me!"

Mickie grabbed Trish by the arms. "They're cheering for both of you!"

Held firmly, Trish slowly looked over to the nearest audience members. They were clapping, but their was no laughter or scorn in their eyes. There was sympathy…but not pity.

And there was respect.

Slowly Trish looked around to more of the crowd, and then back to the ring. Victoria was still standing there, looking out towards her. The triumphant wrestler moved over to one side of the ring and called for a microphone. Once she had one in hand, she relayed a simple message.

"Hey Trish…hell of a match."

She then dropped the microphone and saluted her defeated rival.

Trish Stratus thought back to her feelings before the match. How it was going to be the final showdown between the most storied rivals in the history of women's wrestling.

That's exactly what it had been...just with the final roles working out a little differently than she'd imagined.

And with the fans cheering her, Trish Stratus smiled and reached up for the first time to feel her newly shorn scalp. Then she laughed.

"This really was epic!"

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes: _**_Please review. Did MegaClash live up to your expectations? It's over now, but there's still more story to come. _


	28. Chapter 28

_MegaClash_ had come to its exciting conclusion over an hour ago, but still most of the roster was backstage. There was a celebratory mood in the air for most, even for some that had lost their matches. For everyone knew that the FWF's biggest show to date had gone spectacularly.

Victoria had showered and changed and was relaxing in her dressing room with Mickie. Both women had an air of joyful contentment about them. And why not? Victoria had established herself clearly and finally as the premier woman in the wrestling world by defeating the great Trish Stratus. And Mickie was happy for her...because she was sure that accomplishing that goal had exorcised all of Victoria's personal demons.

A knock came to the door, and when it was answered it turned out to be Trish herself. She too had changed, and was noticeably wearing a bandana over her newly shaved head. Mickie and Victoria welcomed her into the room and then the three women stood in silence for a moment. But it was a silence remarkably free of tension, given the circumstances.

"So I was thinking," Trish finally said. "Maybe in thirty or forty years from now when I'm an old lady…maybe a reporter will come look me up for a 'Where Are They Now?' type of story. And I figure one of the questions I could be asked is…what was the biggest mistake you made in your career? What do you think my answer will be?"

"Coming out of retirement?" Victoria guessed.

Trish laughed as she reached up and adjusted her bandana. "It would seem like the appropriate response." She paused. "But tonight after the match, when I came backstage…Gail Kim game up to me and asked if I was okay." Another pause and Trish's light tone became more emotional. "She just asked if I was okay…but it felt like she cared. And then Melina…MELINA of all people…she came up to me and said…she said I put up a great fight."

Victoria and Mickie watched the expression on Trish's face and knew how significant these seemingly small exchanges were for her.

"I mean, Gail's one that might say something out of simple politeness," Trish continued. "But Melina, she never has any problem letting people know what she thinks about them." Once more she paused. "This was the first time she was ever nice to me."

Mickie started to say something but Trish cut her off.

"So why exactly did it have to come to this?" she asked. "Why did everyone have to see me beaten like this before they could treat me like a human being?"

"Because you never seemed like a human being to the rest of us, Trish," Victoria answered. "You really never did."

All three women sat down and began talking of the past, of their shared histories. Trish got to hear for the first time how she'd always appeared to everyone else. How her confidence and charisma couldn't help but draw people to her…it didn't just affect the fans that loved her…it also drew in the women she worked with and competed against.

But that was when the problems would start. While the fans could bask in Trish's golden glow from afar, those that could get closer to her were burned by her white hot intensity. It had affected Victoria back when they'd both been fitness models. At first she'd seen Trish as a worthy competitor and even a friend to admire. But the jealousy had begun building from the start.

"Everything was always so much easier for you," the raven-haired beauty explained. "I know you worked hard. I trained with you…I saw the effort. But I was working just as hard or harder and never had the same feeling that you seemed to have. You were never worried…never in doubt about anything." She sighed. "I so wanted to be you. To know how it was that you could be that way."

"But that was something you could never explain to any of us," Mickie spoke up. "I know I felt the same way when I started working with you. I'm sure all the others did as well. It was like you had this amazing secret and wouldn't tell the rest of us. Of course, you couldn't. There was no trick to it. It was just you."

"And so we all wanted to be like you," Victoria added.

"Or have you," Mickie said quietly.

"Or both," Victoria continued.

Trish absorbed all this and leaned back in her chair. "You know, all these years, I didn't think there was anything different about me. I thought all the rest of you had the same attitude I had when it came to competing. All the confidence I've always had, maybe I took it for granted. I didn't even realize that I could lose…not the way I lost tonight." She looked thoughtful. "So every time you two have gotten into the ring…wow, you guys are incredible."

The other two women gazed at Trish with puzzled expressions.

"I've never thought I could fail," she explained. "But you two…and all the others…every match…you fought with the idea of losing hanging somewhere in the backs of your minds." She shook her head. "I don't know if I could have taken that. For me, ignorance was bliss." Her expression turned more serious. "But now, after tonight…I'm not going to have that same confidence when I step into the ring anymore."

Victoria, without thinking for a moment about the years of animosity between them, reached out and took hold of her rival's hand.

"You'll do fine," she said. "You're Trish freaking Stratus!"

The response was a genuine smile. The Canadian star may have had more doubts about future success in the ring, but as she looked from Victoria to Mickie and back again, she did feel hopeful about one thing. The thing that had eluded her throughout her long and glorious career.

"And we can all be friends now?" she asked hopefully.

"Absolutely," the other two spoke at once. Then after a slight pause, Victoria added: "Just let's all remember that I'm the best wrestler here."

"Hey," Mickie protested.

"I think you two should settle it in a Hair Match," Trish deadpanned.

And as laughter and more jokes followed, it became clear that the conflict between Trish, Victoria and Mickie was now a thing of the past.

******'******

In another dressing room, the laughter was less raucous but there were plenty of smiles to go around.

"I'm going to go now," Gail Kim said before hugging the new World Champion. "Congratulations again, Molly."

Molly thanked her friend and bid her farewell. With Gail's departure, there was only one other person left in the room.

"Okay," Ivory said. "What's up?"

"What do you mean?" Molly replied.

"What I mean is, you've just had one of the biggest victories of your career...which you totally deserved…I'm so proud of you-"

"So you've mentioned, two or three hundred times," Molly cut in with a smile. "But I do appreciate it. Thank you."

"But something's bothering you," Ivory stated. "I can tell."

Looking at her mentor and seeing the probing look in her eyes, Molly knew she wasn't going to accept anything but the truth.

"They cheered," she said in a flat voice. "The whole arena cheered."

Ivory raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't they? They love you!"

"I don't mean in my match." She sat down across from the older woman. "They cheered Trish. She lost and Victoria shaved her head and they CHEERED for her. For both of them."

"Molly-"

"When Victoria did that to me they LAUGHED!" She looked down at the floor and finished in a quiet voice. "They laughed."

"Sweetie, that was a different set of circumstances," Ivory said gently. "And it was years ago. You've got to put it behind you. Look at all you've done since then."

When Molly didn't respond, Ivory continued more forcefully.

"You came out of retirement and have not lost a SINGLE match. Do you realize that your undefeated streak has passed both Bill Goldberg's and Curt Hennig's? You're now second on the all time list behind Andre the Giant! And you're the World Champion! You're the number one woman in all wrestling!"

"We both know that's not true," Molly replied as she looked up. "I have the belt. But Victoria just won the biggest women's match in history."

Ivory was quiet for a time. She couldn't deny that Victoria's dethroning of Trish Stratus that night overshadowed all the other matches on the card.

"You know the last promo you did before _MegaClash_?" she finally asked. "Where you said all your title wins came when you were angry? That's true. I remember every time you were angry…and it made you win. But the problem with that was…after you won, you never got to enjoy being the champ." She paused. "You should enjoy it, Molly. But you're not happy now, are you?"

Molly shook her head.

Ivory looked her in the eyes. "Then I think you should do something about it."

******'******

The next television broadcast after_ MegaClash _was packed full of energy. Both the wrestlers and the fans were keyed up after the success of the pay-per-view.

The newly formed team of Gail Kim and Hamada, already dubbed 'Kimada_' _by the fans, defeated the Bella Twins in quite an impressive fashion and then announced their intentions to make a run at the tag team championship.

Madison Rayne came out to complain about her loss to ODB and drew a lot of the fan's ire, until Layla decided to come out and shut her up. The impromptu match that followed seemed the obvious beginning of a new feud.

But the action really took off when Michelle McCool came out. Like Madison, she tried to say her loss at _MegaClash_ was a fluke...the difference being that she insisted she was still deserving of the FWF Championship.

"I have a rematch clause in my contract," she began. "And I-"

She was interrupted when Molly Holly's music began to play. She came out with a microphone in hand.

"You want a rematch, Michelle?" she asked as she strode towards the ring. "No problem." She climbed up on the ring apron and motioned for a referee to come out. "Ring the bell."

Michelle was taken aback by Molly's quick answer. "Wait, I-"

"RING THE BELL!" Molly shouted before throwing down the microphone and charging into the ring. She grabbed Michelle and whipped her into the corner just as the bell sounded. She charged the surprised blonde and hip checked in the corner with such force that it would have made any NHL player proud. She then followed up with a _Northern Lights s_uplex, bridging into a pin.

Michelle was too stunned to kick out before the three count.

Molly was quick to grab a microphone again after being declared the winner.

"There was your rematch, Michelle," she announced. "You lost. You want another shot…work your way back up. Because as far as I'm concerned, you're at the back of the line."

The blonde was enraged…but also battered and embarrassed. She made a hasty retreat to escape the crowd's jeers.

Molly was in no hurry to leave the ring however.

"Victoria," she called out. "Victoria, I want you to come out here now!"

This announcement was met with surprise, none more so than Victoria herself. Nonetheless, she wasn't going to ignore being called out. She procured a microphone for herself and made her entrance.

"What's this about, Molly?"

"Like I just said, Michelle is at the back of the line…but I have to figure you're at the front," the champion explained. "I may have won the title the other night…but you had the biggest victory of all. I don't think anyone's going to argue that you're the number one contender to my belt."

Victoria nodded. "I agree. You're going to give me a match then?"

"Might as well get to it sooner rather than later," Molly answered. "But I do have some conditions. First…I want this to establish clearly who the best wrestler is. Nothing tricky like a Cage Match or a Hardcore Match. I want an old fashioned Two out of Three Falls Match."

Victoria needed no time to consider before answering. "Fine with me."

"Wait, there's more," Molly continued. "And this part might be complicated for the production team…but if both of us are in agreement, I think they'll work it out. I want this match to have no time limit. If we have to wrestle all night before there's a winner…then we'll wrestle all night."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Victoria responded.

It was at this point that the expression on Molly's face changed slightly. A hint of hesitancy appeared. She raised the microphone to her lips but didn't speak.

"So we have a deal?" Victoria asked.

"Uh…no," Molly answered. "There's…there's one more thing." Again she hesitated.

Victoria waited.

"I…I want this match to be a Hair Match," the champion finally said.

The crowd reacted loudly, mostly with surprise. But not with as much surprise as was evident on Victoria's face.

"Molly," she answered. "Madison Square Garden was years ago. I-"

"Those are my terms," the champion interrupted. "Winner gets the belt, loser gets her head shaved."

Victoria approached the ring and climbed into it to stand face to face with Molly.

"I can understand you wanting revenge," she said. "And I'm sure you'd enjoy beating me that way. But are you ready to take what happens if you lose? Seriously…think about it."

Molly took a deep breath. "Those are my terms."

Victoria locked eyes with her.

"Deal."

******'******

**_To be continued…_**

******'******

**_author's notes: _**_And so the stage is set for the final showdown. Everyone place your bets now. Who do you think will become Queen of the FWF? Who do you WANT to see win? The end of this saga is only two chapters away...and my intention is that both of those chapters will appear before 2011. __Still, I love lots of feedback on each and every chapter...so please review. _


	29. Chapter 29

"So you people do realize that I'm supposed to be the one who books matches here, right?" Jim Cornette asked in exasperation.

"Hey, when I'm offered a title shot…I'm taking it," Victoria answered calmly. Both she and Molly had been listening to the man complain since they'd left the ring and been told to report to his office.

"We get no time limit, right?" Molly questioned. She was trying to appear as cool and businesslike as Victoria, which was not easy given the amount of doubt whirling inside her. While it was true that defeating Victoria in a Hair Match would balance the scales from Molly's long ago loss, the other possible outcome would be…unbearable.

Cornette threw up his hands and let loose with a few choice words. Then he sat back in the chair behind his desk and glared at the two women.

"You two couldn't wait for us to assemble another pay-per-view, could you? No, of course not." He sighed. "Well, this should give us a nice ratings bump if nothing else. But we're going to take some time to build it. That'll give me time to clear it with the TV folks in case there's an over run."

Victoria briefly considered making a crack about not needing that long to beat Molly and take the belt…but she decided to hold her tongue. The challenge that had been thrown out to her had been so unexpected that she wasn't sure whether that kind of gamesmanship would demoralize Molly or motivate her. With the stakes this high, it was best to be cautious.

"Three weeks, ladies," Cornette concluded. "You two are going at it in three weeks."

******'******

Time can seem to pass quickly when one is spending so much time in intense training. Yet all the sweat and exertion didn't mean that Molly and Victoria were spared those worrisome times when they'd each have to mull over what their match meant.

Neither woman had to dwell on such thoughts alone however. Friends and loved ones were both willing, even insistent, about discussing the matter.

******'******

"I wish it weren't a Hair Match," Mickie told Victoria as she massaged her lover's shoulders.

"I know," the other woman answered. "But I can see why Molly thinks she has to do this." She paused. "It's going to be rough on her, going through it again."

The certainty in Victoria's voice was unquestioned but not bragadacoius. Indeed, the matter-of-factness of her tone made Mickie raise an eyebrow.

"You don't want to be overconfident," she warned.

Victoria shook her head. "No, I'm not. But I need to win this, Mickie. I…need to." She signaled the smaller brunette to cease her massage and then shifted her position so they could face each other.

"I beat Trish and it felt good." She smiled. "It felt SO good. It was something I'd been waiting so long to prove. But now, even though I feel happy…I…"

She trailed off while Mickie looked deeply into her eyes.

"I still need more," she finally admitted. "I'm not quite…satisfied yet. I've had this feeling in the ring for a while now. I thought beating Trish was the key. It did help a lot, but…" She shrugged. "It must be the belt. When I get it back, it'll be my seventh reign. I'll have the record alongside Trish."

Mickie considered this. "And what if you tie the record and then still aren't satisfied? Will you have to lose and then win the belt back one more time?"

Victoria tried to laugh the question off. "You want to be the one who beats me so that I can get it back? That would get you to your seventh reign too."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." She reached over and ran her fingers through Victoria's hair. "Don't forget that losing is a possibility."

Closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of Mickie's fingers entwined in her tresses, Victoria shook her head once again. "It's possible…but I'm not going to let it happen."

******'******

Elsewhere, Molly was having a similar, if less physical, conversation with Ivory.

"Why a Hair Match?" the elder woman asked.

"Because," Molly answered in a subdued tone. "Michelle was right about one thing."

"What?"

"All I've done, my whole career, it doesn't change the fact that when people say 'Molly Holly'…the first thing that comes to people's minds is _Wrestlemania XX_. My biggest moment in wrestling is my biggest humiliation." She took a deep breath. "The only way that will ever change is if I take Victoria's hair."

Ivory was at a rare loss for words. She didn't want to admit it but there was a good deal of truth in what Molly said.

"You know," she finally said. "Anytime I'm asked who the best wrestler I've ever worked with is, the answer is always you."

Molly responded with a slight smile.

"But when anyone asks me to name the TWO best wrestlers I've ever worked with…well, you know who the rest of that answer is."

The younger woman nodded.

"I know you can beat Victoria," Ivory said. "But she can beat you too. And she's got a lot of momentum right now."

"I know."

"If you win…yeah, it will change the way people think about your _Wrestlemania_ match. But if you lose then everyone will think of you having your head shaved by Victoria…twice. Can you live with that?"

The worry in Molly's eyes was clear to see. But she made an effort to put on a brave face. There was only one thing she could think to say.

"If nothing else…at least this time, it was MY choice."

******'******

The anticipation for the match rivaled that of the recent Trish/Victoria showdown, but with some notable differences. Before the previous match, the majority of the FWF roster had been rooting quietly for Victoria but not truly expecting Trish to lose.

But for this match, expectations were uncertain and loyalties were split.

Molly was well liked and respected for her ability, but her past record against Victoria did not inspire confidence. Certainly many fans considered Victoria the odds on favorite for this encounter. The woman had just beaten Trish Stratus after all.

In the end however, all the analysis and examination meant nothing. The winner would be decided in the ring.

******'******

"Ladies and Gentleman, we have a very special event tonight," Jim Cornette announced as he stood in the ring. "You've heard the conditions…you know there's no time limit…so LET'S GET TO IT!"

He exited the ring as Victoria's theme music started to play. When she appeared the crowd went wild. She may not have been the champion, but in the eyes of many she was already the top woman in the sport. A victory for her tonight would simply formalize her status.

When Molly came out however, the audience ovation was similarly appreciative. There may have been a trace of concern in their cheers however. They all knew how things had gone for Molly the last time she'd been in a Hair Match.

At the announcer's table JBL and Ivory noted how unusual it was to have a no time limit match on live television, and for a title match to open the show. From a programming standpoint it could possibly backfire. If the match ended in short order, everything that followed would be anti-climactic. But Cornette knew both women and had seen the determination in their eyes. He felt it likely that this would be a long match indeed.

The bell rang and the two women wasted no time before locking up. Though Victoria was larger and her strength was well known, Molly had always been blessed with a deceptive amount of power in her unassuming frame. Certainly she wouldn't want to try and overpower Victoria as a main strategy…but she could at least hold her own in that department.

The match quickly fell into a fast and aggressive pace. Neither woman showed any signs of hesitancy, they couldn't afford to. Any hint of weakness would be zeroed in on by the other.

"In a match like this, I don't think you can stress enough the importance of scoring the first fall," JBL commented. "When you have your opponent trailing, the psychological advantage is immense."

"And when you're trailing," Ivory continued, "you can exhaust yourself mentally in trying to even things up. But I think it's a little early to be talking about the first fall yet."

In the ring though it was not too early for Molly and Victoria to be thinking about that first fall. Both were mixing in unusual maneuvers with their normal tactics to try and catch the other off guard. To the delight of the fans, these efforts did not bear fruit. Each woman was able to counter even the most unexpected attacks from her rival. The result was non-stop excitement as more and more creative offense was employed.

"Damn," JBL laughed. "I wished we'd brought out the 'Encyclopedia of Wrestling Holds' before the match started."

"Getting forgetful in your old age?" Ivory asked sarcastically. "Seriously though, this is classic wrestling we're seeing here. And while some people might think that would play into Molly's strengths, I'd say Victoria is dead even with her."

The first sign of the stalemate breaking came when Victoria ducked a swing from Molly and then took her over in a snap suplex…then held on and rolled right into applying the _Guillotine Choke. _

"Victoria's got her now!" JBL exclaimed. "Middle of the ring…no way to reach the ropes."

Molly's position was indeed dire. But the thought of losing the first fall motivated her to struggle that much harder. Despite the pain she refused to submit. Struggling through the agony, she managed to pull her legs back and get to her knees…though this did nothing in loosening the hold.

Then, with her feet finally underneath her, she reached over and hooked one on Victoria's legs and stood.

"Fisherman's suplex!" Ivory cried out as Molly took Victoria over.

"Who in the hell has ever tried that before?" JBL exclaimed. "Countering the _Guillotine_ with a Fisherman's suplex…and she could get the pin!"

Molly had bridged perfectly upon finishing the move and had Victoria's shoulder's pressed to the mat. But when the referee counted to two, Molly's bridge collapsed…but not because Victoria had attempted to kick out. A moment later, the cause was evident.

"MY GOD!" JBL yelled in shock. "She's still got the hold on! Victoria never let go of the choke!"

Yes, though both women were now on their backs , Victoria had kept her arms wrapped around Molly's neck even through the impact of the suplex. However in this position Molly could roll enough to reach the ropes, finally breaking the hold.

Molly was clearly weakened from the ordeal but she struck first when both women got to their feet. By staying on offense she hoped to keep Victoria from gaining any further advantage. Certainly the forearm shots she used next took the other woman by surprise. While Victoria was reeling, Molly went for broke. She grabbed Victoria's arm and began to raise it skyward.

"She's going for the _Heart Punch_!" Ivory called out.

But Victoria had kept this maneuver in mind after seeing Molly employ it against Michelle. Before her foe could strike she lowered her arm and grabbed Molly's in a standing wristlock.

Molly responded by reversing the wristlock into one of her own, beginning a sequence where the two women reversed and re-reversed the wristlock several times. Victoria ended this though by shifting behind Molly in the midst of a reversal and locking in a half-nelson…but without letting go of Molly's arm. The crowd erupted when they saw what she was doing.

"_Cobra Clutch_!" JBL made the call. "Victoria's got the _Cobra Clutch_ on Molly!"

Ivory was silent for a moment. Though it wasn't a usual part of Victoria's arsenal, the _Cobra Clutch_ was a highly effective maneuver. What was more, Ivory knew that Victoria had learned the hold from the man who was its undisputed master…Sgt. Slaughter. The legendary wrestling great had been a road agent for WWE when Victoria had started there, and he'd always been fond of her in a fatherly sort of way.

Molly struggled to reach the ropes, driven by desperation. But after making some progress Victoria pulled her back to the center of the ring…causing the crowd's frenzy to increase.

"She not getting out of this," Ivory said, trying to keep her voice neutral.

Coming to same realization, Molly tried to master the panic threatening to overwhelm her and took the only option left to her.

"She's tapping out!" JBL said. "Molly tapped out! First fall to Victoria!"

The raven-haired beauty released the hold and moved to a neutral corner. Meanwhile Molly leaned against the ropes. She was now at a serious disadvantage and she knew it. Visions of defeat began to fill her mind…No! If she gave in to fear now she had no chance. She had to rally. A risky plan began to take shape.

Victoria studied Molly in the few moments it took for the ref to restart the match. It seemed that the submission move had taken a lot out of her…for she had bent over and was gasping for breath as she held on to the ropes. If Victoria attacked quickly, she might be able to end this in short order. And with Molly bent over like that…

Victoria charged and hoisted her foe into the air in less than a second.

"_Widow's Peak!"_ Ivory cried. "Victoria's going to end this right now!"

But once Molly was in the air, she suddenly came to life…kicking her legs in the air strongly and unbalancing Victoria. Though still hooked together back to back, Victoria couldn't keep Molly aloft. Once Molly's feet were back on the mat, she pulled Victoria down in a perfectly executed backslide pin. Taken by surprise, Victoria didn't even hear the ref's count at first. Her eyes widened in pure shock when she realized he'd slapped the mat three times.

"Molly's tied it up!" JBL exclaimed. "And that was damn good strategy! Got the second fall right away without using up a lot of energy. Now this match is dead even. Neither woman has the advantage!"

"She's a smart one," Ivory agreed with a note of pride.

Victoria cursed as Molly went to a neutral corner. She'd been suckered…and pinned by the exact same move she'd pinned Molly with in their first Hair Match years earlier.

_That was your last hurrah, Molly,_ she thought determinedly. _I'm not losing this._ She lifted a hand up unconsciously and ran it through her hair. _I'm not. _

******'******

As great as the match had been up to that point, what followed next put it all to shame. With total victory at stake, each woman gave their all. Hold and counter hold…move for move, wrestling and brawling both…Molly and Victoria just kept going. Many times it would seem one had victory in her grasp only for her opponent to dig down and battle back.

The excitement among the fans built and built…and then built more. Every bit of reason dictated that the match couldn't keep going on like this.

Yet it did.

And an hour later…it was still going.

"One of them has got to drop from exhaustion, if nothing else," JBL commented.

"I think the fans and you and I may do that before those two do," Ivory replied. And she couldn't be blamed for the thought. For though both women were soaked with sweat, they were still moving with the same speed they'd shown in the opening moments of the contest.

And the fires in their eyes were blazing hotter than ever.

It came to pass that the match shifted to Molly's control once again and she whipped Victoria into the corner. She followed up with a handspring back elbow that nailed Victoria hard in the side of the head. Dazed and on rubber legs, Victoria stumbled out of the corner while Molly quickly climbed to the top turnbuckle.

"Oh my," JBL said. "She could be going for it!"

And in fact…she was.

"_Molly-Go-Round!_" Ivory called out excitedly as her friend leapt into the air.

Victoria regained her wits just in time to see Molly's somersaulting form sailing through the air straight for her. While her mind was clear, her reflexes still felt sluggish and she had little confidence she could dodge…but she also knew the move could well spell defeat for her. That was unacceptable. So with neither dodging nor losing as an acceptable option, she chose the third…fully aware of the insanity of it.

She planted her feet and braced herself.

Molly hit perfectly.

Victoria did NOT go down.

"She…caught her?" The disbelief in Ivory's voice was clear.

"She freaking CAUGHT HER!" JBL yelled. "Good lord! Beth Phoenix, eat your heart out!"

As the audience gasped, expressing surprise that almost equaled Molly's own, Victoria realized that her impressive feat of strength had not only saved her from defeat…it also left her in the perfect position for…

"POWERBOMB!" JBL exclaimed as Victoria slammed her foe down. "And she's going for the pin!"

It would have been a three count…Molly was too stunned to kick out…but they were close enough to the corner that the champion could reach out and grab the bottom rope with her left hand just in time to save herself.

"This is unbelievable," Ivory commented.

This sentiment was shared by not only the fans in attendance but by everyone watching in the back as well. The rest of the roster had gathered around video monitors and kept their eyes glued to the action.

In Cornette's office, he was watching along with Lance and Hamada. With both Molly and Victoria taking a moment to catch their breath, the three had a chance to discuss what they were watching.

"Amazing," Hamada said quietly.

"You can say that again," Lance replied.

"You know, when I was twelve," Cornette began, "my mama drove all night to St. Louis…so I could see Harley Race defend the Heavyweight Championship of the World against Jack Brisco."

While Lance had heard his friend reminisce about that match before, it was all new to Hamada.

"You were there? Race and Brisco?"

He smiled. "Darlin' I was ringside. And that was the match that all others would be compared to when you talked about greatness in professional wrestling."

Glancing at the screen to see that Victoria and Molly were still regrouping, he continued.

"Almost twenty years later, I was in Nashville and watched Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat reach that bar…and then sail so high above it you'd need a private jet just to try and climb to the level of their atmosphere." He paused. "And I'm saying all that just to say this."

He gazed back at the monitor.

"This may be the greatest wrestling match I've ever seen."

******'******

Back in the ring both women had regained their feet. Eschewing anything fancy, they simply stood and traded blows. Now Victoria's strength finally seemed to turn into a deciding factor. Her punches seemed a little crisper…and then some of her attacks went unanswered.

But before she could deliver a knockout strike, Molly managed to duck under one swing and then took her rival down with a simple drop toe-hold. In an instant she moved to grab Victoria's legs.

"She's going for something," Ivory commented while watching the action. "It's…YES!"

"The _Cloverleaf_!" JBL called out. "Molly's locked in the _Texas Cloverleaf_!"

A feared submission maneuver, the hold had also been a specialty of Dean Malenko, the famous 'Man of a Thousand Holds'.

He also happened to have been the man who'd given Molly her first technical wrestling instruction.

The pain was excruciating…but Victoria knew she couldn't submit. She pressed her palms down against the matt and pushed up as much as she could to relieve the pressure. Molly's response was to lean further back and try to force her down.

_Not giving up!_ Victoria told herself. _NOT GIVING UP!_

She pulled herself forward with her hands. Crawling…dragging Molly with her. After what seemed like an eternity, she stretched her fingers out just enough to make contact with the rope.

As Molly broke the hold, some in the audience were momentarily distracted by the appearance of other wrestlers. First Mickie, then Gail…then the entirety of the locker room slowly walked out from backstage. But none of them were running to interfere with the match.

No, they had all simply come to watch. The backstage monitors weren't enough. Not for this match. No matter what the outcome, no matter who they were rooting for…they all wanted to be able to say they had watched this match with their own eyes.

Victoria was hobbling slightly as she got to her feet. Molly charged her…but was caught and taken down hard with a devastating powerslam. With the wind knocked out of her foe, Victoria stood back up and performed a standing moonsault and then went for the pin. Molly barely kicked out at two.

The taller woman picked up her foe and took her back down with a sidewalk slam. Instead of going for a pin however, she went over to the corner as quickly as she could manage and climbed to the top turnbuckle.

"Top rope moonsault!" Ivory cried.

She sailed through the air in a beautiful arc…but at the last possible moment Molly rolled to her side resulting in Victoria crashing into the canvas covered ring mat.

Some straps on her leg brace snapped.

Molly went to reapply the _Cloverleaf _to her downed opponent but was distracted a moment when the brace began to shift as she took hold of Victoria's leg. The device was now simply wrapped around the limb loosely, not offering any protection but getting in the way of properly applying the hold. Knowing she couldn't afford to waste time to indecision, Molly undid the few remaining straps and tore the brace off Victoria's leg.

She then locked in the hold.

Before the pain had been intense. Now it was indescribable.

Still, Victoria fought on. She let out a ferocious sound…something between a scream and a growl…and looked back over her shoulder. She saw Molly peering back at her…a similarly fierce gleam in her eyes. Victoria imagined it was how her own eyes had always appeared when she used to glare at Trish.

So many years of having Trish as her personal demon, yet she herself had become a demon to Molly along the way.

Victoria could sympathize…but that wasn't going to stop her from doing what she had to. It was like she'd told Mickie before the match. She had to win. For all she'd done in wrestling, she still needed more.

She began to crawl towards the ropes.

Inside, an old voice spoke up. It was weak and pathetic sounding, but familiar.

_Let me out_, Psycho-Diva begged. _I can beat her!_

_Shut the hell up!_ Victoria answered back with contempt.

It was the last time she'd ever hear the Psycho-Diva's voice.

She stretched towards the ropes.

Molly kept the hold on while dragging her back to the center of the ring.

The brief sign of shocked panic in Victoria's eyes only lasted a moment. She pushed against the mat once more and tried to ignore the pain.

Once more she looked over her shoulder to lock eyes with Molly. Their warring wills battled silently.

Reaching down deep, Victoria called up all her inner strength. Her determination…her desire…her whole identity as a wrestler. She called on it all and asked: _Can I do this? _

While waiting for an answer, she somehow became aware of the crowd's volume increasing dramatically. An explosion of sound. A moment later she realized what had caused it.

Her palm was slapping the mat.

"SHE TAPPED!" JBL exclaimed. "VICTORIA'S TAPPED OUT!"

"MOLLY WINS!" Ivory cried out.

And Victoria had her answer.

******'******

The roar of the crowd was deafening. The look on Molly's face was more than jubilant….it was beatific. Which was only appropriate, considering how much redemption she'd felt in this victory.

Mickie had moved to ringside and was calling out Victoria's name, but the raven-haired beauty was sitting on the mat…a puzzled expression on her face.

_I…tapped? _

It was hard to believe. She couldn't have. Not with this match. She couldn't lose this match. She couldn't lose her hair!

Those thoughts raced through her mind, but there was an awareness of something else there too. Something else she'd lost.

The need.

That nagging hunger that had been driving her for so long. The one that hadn't gone away even when she'd humbled Trish. It wasn't there. Its absence was impossible to overlook. Everything felt so different with it gone.

_I lost. I'm going to get my head shaved. God, I'm going to look like a freak! _

But even as part of her dreaded about how much her ears would no doubt stick out, another part of her was still struggling to understand what had changed. What that hunger had been and why it was now gone.

It had gone because she'd finally done the one thing she never had before…not even when she'd beaten Trish.

She'd reached her limit.

All the greats, all those that had the desire to be the very best, they are the ones that chase their goals constantly until they reach it or die. Victoria's goal had been set very high.

And tonight, she'd achieved it.

She'd wrestled the greatest match of her life. She'd been her absolute best…holding nothing back…fighting with every fiber of her being and every ounce of her ability.

And she'd had the rare blessing of being able to be AWARE that she'd done so. No doubts…no second guessing. She knew she was never going to be any better in the ring than she had been tonight.

As fate would have it, that milestone had been reached when she'd been matched against someone who, for this one night at least, had managed to be just a little bit better.

"Victoria!" Mickie's worried voice finally reached her ears. "Look at me!"

She turned and met her love's eyes. She spoke too softly to be heard but trusted that Mickie could read her lips.

"I'm okay."

She rose slowly to her feet and saw Molly was in the corner, her back to her for she was hugging Ivory, who'd come up onto the ring apron.

The chair and cutting utensils had already been set up.

When Molly turned around she was surprised to see Victoria standing between her and the chair, electric clippers in her hand. The taller woman extended her arm and handed the clippers to Molly.

"Savor it," Victoria said with just a slight crack in her voice. "Take your time…and savor every moment. You've earned it."

Then she sat down in the chair.

Molly was lost for a moment. Victoria's acceptance of her fate was not what she'd expected. And the hushed anticipation from the crowd made everything seem a little surreal. She studied Victoria's face and saw sure signs of nervousness, even a little fear, but no sign of resistance.

Indeed, after looking at one another for a moment, Victoria slowly bowed her head forward in a clear sign of surrender to Molly. A sign that Molly could only react to with one thought.

_I…really…won. _

The joy of that realization made Molly's whole being feel lighter than air. She had a smile on her face and she reached out and smoothed back Victoria's hair with one hand and then pressed the clippers to the compliant woman's forehead.

She made the first pass very slowly…savoring it.

Victoria fought down the panic with relative ease. She concentrated on the physical sensation of her hair being shorn…it was surprisingly pleasant, actually. Slightly ticklish. She kept very still, moving only as Molly's hands guided her…but her eyes followed the journey of bits of hair as the fell to the floor. A slow trickle of tears started from her eyes…but at the same time, to the amazement of all onlookers. A peaceful smile came to her face.

There would be no rematch. She knew this. There would be no more championship gold. For over a decade she'd given her life to wrestling…and now it was over.

It made her sad, but it made her free. She was dying and being reborn at once…and she was aware of it all.

How many people could say that?

She could hear the ovation that had started from the crowd, but didn't focus on it until Molly had finished her task. Then, after indulging a moment of curiosity to feel her bare scalp with her hands, Victoria stood up, took hold of Molly's arm and raised it skyward in a symbol of the younger woman's victory.

The cheers from the crowd were deafening.

Victoria moved to exit the ring and was met at once by a tight embrace from Mickie. They kissed as their fellow wrestlers stood and applauded…just as every other person in the arena did.

Victoria and Mickie then exited to let the rest of the cheers be focused on Molly…now the Undisputed Queen of All Wrestling.

******'******

**_To be concluded…_**

******'******

**_author's notes: _**_And there we have it. Just one chapter left before I close the curtain on this tale. Please tell me what you think of this final showdown. Did you guess the winner? Are you happy with the outcome? Did you like the action? I need reviews. _

_I had Victoria win the first fall with the Cobra Clutch because Sgt. Slaughter was an agent in WWE when she started, and she told an amusing story about a storyline that was proposed to her which she turned down (the first time she EVER said no to a proposed storyline). The idea was that she'd be a female marine and that Slaughter would be her on-screen mentor. She didn't mind the concept and loved the idea of working with 'Sarge'...but writers also wanted her to shave her head like Demi Moore in GI Jane. And that was the part she had a problem with. Pretty ironic considering how this chapter worked out. :) _

_Dean Malenko did train Molly back when she first started in WCW. There are some interesting stories about this as well. Malenko, one of the best wrestling technicians of all time, had never trained a woman before...so he trained her exactly the same way he trained his male students...which Molly appreciated a great deal. Also, because Molly is quite strong and Malenko is very small by modern wrestling standards (billed as 5'10" and 212 lbs...both of which are GREATLY exaggerated figures) she was able to actually use the throws and lifts she learned on him...and they would run through complete matches together as part of her training. I__s it any wonder she's so good?_


	30. Chapter 30

The next week's FWF television show opened with Victoria standing in the middle of the ring. She was dressed in street clothes rather than wrestling gear. She also was without wig, hat or bandana…making no effort to hide the results of her last match. Why should she?

She had nothing to be ashamed of.

Around the ring were Mickie, along with Victoria's closest friends on the roster. Lance was there too.

A little further back…off on her own in deference to her championship status…stood Molly. Then there were other wrestlers back by the entrance…the entire roster. Even Michelle McCool and other 'less than beloved' individuals.

But all the focus was on Victoria. She took a microphone and addressed the crowd.

"So…what do you think of the new look? Do I pull it off?" She laughed and struck some exaggerated 'modeling poses' then waited for the cheers to die down before continuing. She looked out amongst the wrestlers and pointed to her long time rival, who was currently sporting an attractive blonde wig.

"Yeah, Trish…we're all cool now, but just so you know…I look WAY better than you bald."

Trish shook her fist in a humorous manner as the audience laughed. Meanwhile, Victoria turned her attention to the FWF World Champion. "Damn thing is, neither of us look as good as Molly did back in the day."

A small 'Molly' chant broke out in the crowd, causing the soft spoken wrestler to actually blush.

"I'm here to say a few things," Victoria continued. "And let's start with Molly and the match we had last week." She paused and switched to a more serious tone as she gazed towards the title-holder. "Thank you. Thank you for giving me the greatest match of my career."

The audience applauded.

"You're an amazing wrestler and a true champion," Victoria added. "As a hairstylist though, don't quit your day job."

After the laughter died down, the woman's tone turned serious once more.

"I'd also like to announce that my greatest match was also my final match. I'm officially retiring from the ring."

Sounds of shock filled the arena. Some of the fans began to respectfully protest.

"No, I'm sorry to disappoint anyone. But I'm sure of this. I've spent more than a decade trying to accomplish everything I could in this business…and I can honestly look in the mirror today and say…I have."

At ringside, Mickie was smiling up at her through teary eyes.

"I love wrestling so much, but I am proud to have the chance to walk away from the ring on my own terms…knowing that I can say I took on the very best in the world and wasn't found wanting. I may not have always won…but I think anyone who was ever in the ring with me knows, as my theme music says, 'I'm not a lady to mess with'."

Plenty of heads nodded among the wrestlers at this sentiment.

"More than that, I'm proud that I can look at each and every wrestling fan that's ever watched me, whether in the arena or at home on TV, and know that whether I was in a sold out stadium or a rundown auditorium that only seated a hundred people …you always saw me give a hundred and ten percent. Sometimes you didn't like me, sometimes you loved me…but understand this: I love each and every one of you!"

The applause was louder than ever. Chants of 'WE LOVE YOU' started as Victoria put done the microphone and waved back to the crowd. Tears began to run down her cheeks as the chant shifted to one of 'PLEASE DON'T GO!"

Then an unexpected interruption from Jim Cornette silenced the fans.

"Now let's not go jumping to any conclusions," he said as he climbed into the ring with a microphone of his own in hand. "Victoria may be retiring from the ring…but who said she's going anywhere?"

Victoria laughed at her friend's theatrical manner as he went on.

"As many of you know, Victoria is a co-founder and co-owner of the FWF. Hell, this whole thing was pretty much her idea," he said. "But as an active wrestler, she had no executive authority whatsoever." He sighed. "She didn't have to deal with endless demands from all these abrasive, lunatic, hellcats…she was actually one of the worst of the whole lot!"

She tried to act offended but couldn't keep a straight face.

"Anyway," Cornette continued. "Now that she's done competing, it's time for her to do some real work around here. And this is where I have an announcement to make."

He paused to clear his throat.

"The FWF has met with more success in a shorter time than any wrestling promotion in history. We have the most elite female athletes on the planet in our company…and more and more trying to get in. But that requires we build ourselves a bigger support system."

Victoria nodded as she listened. She already discussed what her role in the company would be with Cornette and what their future business plans entailed.

"What the FWF needs," he explained to the crowd, "is a good old fashioned developmental territory. A place where young ladies, who want to follow in Victoria's footsteps, can learn the craft of professional wrestling. But we need someone to run that territory. And off the top of my head…I think the perfect candidate is standing in this ring right now!"

Cornette motioned as if he was about to point to Victoria…but at the last moment pulled his hand back and used his thumb to point at himself.

"That's right!" he crowed. "ME! Jim Cornette, the greatest mind in all professional wrestling! Though not exactly the most modest!"

"What?" Victoria asked in shock. "But I thought-"

"Sorry for switching it up, Darlin," he laughed. "But let's face it…the FWF wouldn't exist without you. You don't need to be off wet nursing a bunch of rookies. You belong here…as the NEW COMMISSIONER of the FWF!"

As the crowd cheered, Victoria leaned towards Cornette to voice her doubts.

"But…me? Run the FWF? I-"

"Don't give me that," he whispered back. "You know everything there is to know about the job. You think I'd step down for someone who didn't? I know you…and I know this is the perfect role for you in the company." He smirked. "And I'm a genius, remember? So I can't be wrong."

She considered the matter before responding. "Thank you, Corny."

"I'll see if you still want to thank me a few weeks from now," he joked back. "Being the boss can make you want to tear your hair out half the time. Of course, you've got nothing to worry about there."

Stepping back and speaking into the microphone, Cornette pointed towards his friend.

"Ladies and Gentleman, let's hear it for your commissioner…VICTORIA!"

As the cheers started, Mickie climbed up on the ring apron. Victoria walked over to her.

"You think people will talk now?" the perky brunette teased. "After all, I'm sleeping with the boss."

"I better not ever see any sexual harassment suits from you!" the taller woman joked back before giving her love a quick kiss.

******'******

As it happened, Cornette, Lance and JBL worked with Victoria to ensure there would be no conflicts of interest between her job and her relationship with Mickie. Any questions that involved Mickie's professional status were always handled by one of the other FWF co-owners. In all other matters, Victoria was the primary authority figure.

She did her job exceptionally well.

Mickie was no stranger to success either. She eventually did win the FWF's top Championship to match Trish's record of seven reigns…and later surpassed it with an eighth.

She did not hold the record very long however.

For in the six more years that Molly Holly wrestled after defeating Victoria, she amassed an unprecedented TEN World Title reigns…and in the process competed in countless match classics against Mickie, Natalya, Gail, Hamada and all the other top contenders. Matches for the ages.

But matches that would always be compared to the biggest victory of her career. The match that would be spoken of by wrestling historians in the same reverent tones that they used when speaking of Flair/Steamboat and Race/Brisco.

Molly/Victoria.

******'******

Beth Phoenix and Awesome Kong clashed repeatedly in the year that followed their first match. Many of their battles were indecisive, though they didn't lack for excitement. The memorable November night that they closed the show was a standout in many people's minds. Not that they'd been scheduled to be the last match that night…it had just been impossible for any more matches to take place on that occasion…since the two women had ended up destroying the ring.

Eventually their feud cooled. In the end, Beth had racked up a few more victories over Kong than Kong could claim over Beth…but none could argue that both women hadn't proven themselves two of the all time greats.

******'******

Layla's friendship with Beth stayed strong for the remainder of their careers and beyond. The British Beauty enjoyed great success and held both the World Title and the tag team championships on multiple occasions before her in-ring days came to a close. Her first tag team reign was with Beth, her second was with Melissa Anderson…who she also became quite close to.

Quite close.

Beth served as Maid of Honor at their wedding.

******'******

Ivory and JBL continued their on-air partnership happily for years. They also resolved to remain strictly professional and not complicate their relationship.

Their resolve almost flew out the window at the FWF's first Christmas party.

After that close call, Ivory was determined to prevent any future reoccurrences.

Her solution: fix JBL up with another woman. She was sure things would work out perfectly after that.

She was right.

It was just that neither she nor anyone else could have ever imagined that such a great union could be formed between someone like JBL…

…and ODB.

Nonetheless, John and Jessica Layfield (who was professionally known from then on as ODBL) became the toast of the wrestling world. Ivory couldn't have been happier for them.

And she was honored when they asked her to be the godmother of their twin daughters.

******'******

Trish Stratus continued to wrestle in the FWF for a time. She was a constant fixture near the top of the contender's list until she retired, but never captured another World Title.

She couldn't have cared less.

For what mattered to her most was that when she finished a match, win or lose, and got back to the locker room…the other women would offer congratulations or sympathy. They'd invite her out to have a drink after the show. They'd share rides with her to the gym.

They'd talk and they'd listen and they'd treat her like any other wrestler.

It was the most wonderful time of her entire career.

******'******

Michelle McCool had great difficulties for quite a while after losing the belt to Molly. With Kong off on her own, Michelle tried to form new alliances. Ego clashes hampered these efforts and she was forced into the role of a loner.

Then there were the 'Beautiful People'.

Though Angelina and Velvet were as unpopular as McCool…they did have each other. And they couldn't resist kicking anyone when they were down…especially not someone that they'd been jealous of in the past.

But when their petty comments and childish tormenting of Michelle developed into an in-ring feud, things got rather one-sided. Michelle had nowhere to turn for help…she was constantly outnumbered and a victim of sneak attacks. With her back against the wall and the odds against her, Michelle did something that people didn't expect.

She stood her ground and fought.

Call it pride…call it ego…call it no other choice…whatever the reason, Michelle would not surrender. Wrestling fans grew to respect her…then admire her. Eventually they cheered for her.

Still, she had no allies in the locker room. Not until that fateful day that Velvet and Angelina had her down and beat her so brutally that it began to look like she might suffer permanent injury. That day when several in the locker room moved to act, all feeling that nobody deserved such treatment.

It just so happened that Melina was the quickest to the ring.

The impromptu alliance between the calculating blonde and the fiery Latina proved a great benefit to both. Michelle needed a partner to fight beside…but one that was forceful enough to keep her from reverting to her evil ways. And if there was one thing Melina was…it was forceful.

They became allies. They became tag team champions. And finally…

…they became friends.

******'******

The FWF's developmental territory was a spectacular success. The women who passed through it learned so much that they could instantly go and make a living in Japan or Mexico even when there wasn't enough room for them in the FWF immediately.

Many male wrestlers from small time promotions inquired about the possibility of training there as well.

And this gave Jim Cornette an idea.

He proposed an 'affiliates network' between various small promotions across the country… similar to the glory days of the National Wrestling Alliance. All promoters could continue to operate as they saw fit and they could send their talent to him for training, if they signed on to a universal ranking system for all their wrestlers. They would recognize all FWF titles as the only legitimate women's championships…and use the ranking system to determine one overall champion among the male wrestlers and a single set of male tag team champions. Those champions would be able to defend their titles in any and all of the independent promotions that signed on.

Almost overnight, the old territory system rose from the grave to terrorize unprepared victims.

Of course, in this case…the unprepared victims were TNA and WWE.

******'******

Along with her many World Title reigns, Molly also earned another, rather unexpected distinction.

Queen of the Hair Match.

Though she would have been happy to have never been in such a match again, fate had other ideas. It started simply enough when Madison Rayne was frustrated in her progress to climb to the top of the FWF rankings and secure a title shot. She tried to circumvent matters by attacking Molly. But while the champion was more than willing to step into the ring and teach her a lesson, she would not grant a title shot to someone who hadn't legitimately earned it. Madison called her a coward while claiming that she herself feared nothing and would fight under any conditions.

Not realizing when it was in her best interest to shut up…the challenger then brought up the idea of a Hair Match.

Not even Molly could resist such an opening. Madison was just that annoying.

But while humiliating the brash youngster was satisfying for Molly and the fans alike, it also established a dangerous precedent. If a challenger was willing to risk her hair…she at least deserved consideration for a title shot.

At first none were eager to take the risk. But the competition in the rankings was so fierce, the top contenders SO good. Earning the number one contender's spot seemed to grow more and more difficult.

One by one, great wrestlers were tempted. During Molly's various title reigns, the Hair Match came into play eight more times. Beth, Jillian, Mickie, Layla, Natalya, Jillian (again) and Melina all took the gamble.

All lost…resulting in an amazing streak of nine Hair Match wins in a row for Molly.

It was only when the ever persistent (and now short-haired) Jillian made the challenge a third time that Molly fell. In a fantastic battle, Jillian managed to claim the gold. Molly took her second (and final) shearing much more gracefully than she'd taken her first. And losing her hair did not cause her any trauma the second time around.

After all, some of the very best in the world had lost Hair Matches.

******'******

No argument about 'the all time greatest' in a field can ever be truly decided. Debates will rage endlessly over factors both great and small in measuring excellence.

For women's wrestling, many argued that Molly was the logical choice. She'd more title reigns than any one else. She'd beaten Victoria decisively…after Victoria had done the same to Trish.

But Victoria had never taken a multi-year sabbatical from wrestling the way Molly had. She'd competed night in and night out from her first match to her last, and she'd held more career wins over Molly.

Of course, if career wins were brought into play…then Trish was right back in the running. It was hard to discount the astounding win percentage of her WWE days.

Other names were brought up as well. Beth, Gail, Natalya, Hamada…many more. While they may not have had as large a number of title reigns, the quality of the matches they'd fought, especially in the FWF, couldn't be questioned. The standard of competition there was so high.

By the same token, others argued that more respect should be given to women from earlier eras. Those who'd faced greater hardships and more limited opportunities but still managed to shine. Women like Wendi Richter or Leilani Kai.

Women like Ivory.

The FWF commentator was always quick to deny any claim made of her greatness. _I was never in the same league as Molly and Victoria _was her constant refrain. And in her heart, she believed this.

But that was the same heart that nonetheless swelled with gratitude at knowing there were those that appreciated her so.

No…the argument about the greatest female wrestler of all time will never be settled. It will rage on in the future the same as it raged in the past. It was not settled on the night of Victoria's last match. Nor was it settled twenty-five years later when nineteen year old Sachi Hamada-Storm made history by becoming the youngest ever FWF World Champion while her parents, Lance and Ayako, watched with pride.

Yet, while the debate goes on…there is one thing all sides agree on. One name that will always be revered.

The name of a woman who loved her profession. A woman who worked through pain and frustration.

A woman who watched as she and her peers were marginalized and disrespected but carried on valiantly. A woman who fought some of the greatest matches of all time at an age where others would have been long retired.

A woman who continued to wrestle not out of financial need but out of pure love of performing.

The name of a woman who would never give up but would always give back.

A woman who was christened 'Lisa Marie' by her parents and who would use other names in her career as well.

But to millions that loved her, she would always be simply…

**_Victoria. _**

******'******

**_The End._**

******'******

**_author's notes: _**_Eleven months ago I started this story...now it's done. It's the longest thing I've ever written and it's caused me great frustration at times, mostly because I wish I were a better writer so that I could give the tale the justice it deserves. _

_The idea for it came to me shortly after Victoria parted ways with WWE. For years, she and Molly had been my two favorite wrestlers…but as Molly and many others retired, Victoria persevered. More and more I watched how she was misused by the company, and yet more and more I saw the same skill and ability that she'd always had…and which put to shame so many of the newcomers that were being put in the spotlight rather than her. _

_Lance Storm wrote a very nice essay on his website after Victoria's WWE departure. Look it up sometime at Stormwrestling(dot)com. It's in the archives for January 20, 2009. But his point was how Victoria was such a huge part of the women's division success, and how she'll never get the proper credit for it…much like Molly. _

_That's because Victoria's and Molly's jobs were to make women who were their inferiors in talent APPEAR to be their superiors. _

_There have been some women in wrestling who would NEVER have had a good match in their careers if not for Victoria. _

_Victoria, Molly, Ivory and many others were always seen as supporting cast to the 'stars'. They had to go out and make others look good. When those others were willing to work (like Trish Stratus) women like Victoria MADE them better wrestlers. When those others lacked Trish's work ethic…Victoria could at least CARRY them through an entertaining match for the sake of the fans. _

_On a side note, I think Trish should be highly praised for training so hard when…in all honesty…she could have been quite successful with a fraction of the effort (like some others who relied on the 'Victorias' and 'Mollys' to hide their weaknesses). But that's the difference between 'greatness' and 'quite successful'. Trish Stratus is great. _

_But Victoria's a freaking goddess. :)_

_And she's proving that every week, at the age of 39, by going out and working matches that are putting both female and male wrestlers to shame. She and Mickie James have accounted for virtually ALL of the highest quality wrestling in TNA's women's division for months now. _

_Also, though I wanted to pay tribute to Victoria most of all, I have a great deal of love and respect for all the women in the field who give their all. Layla and Michelle and Nattie and…well, you saw many of them in the story. I regret I couldn't fit in more. _

_Anyway, I want to thank all that enjoyed the story. Oh, and I had a couple of people comment that they thought there were a LOT of Hair Matches in the story. I planned from the start to make the Hair Match a big part of Molly's story…so I stressed the importance of it. But there were only three head shavings planned for thirty chapters, I didn't think that was much at all considering the part it plays in the plot. _

_But since I got some comments about it before I wrote the final chapter…I added in all those others just for fun. :P_

_Did you like the epilogues? Please review. _


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